


dissendium into drama

by leekuanlin



Series: bonds of blood [3]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bullying, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Non-binary character, OT3, Polyamory, Swearing, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-10 02:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11682492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leekuanlin/pseuds/leekuanlin
Summary: Daehwi's at a bit of a loss when it comes to relationships, so he's a bit worried when he ends up leading the main crusade to get Hwanwoong either: a) his unrequited crush requited, or b) find someone who is interested in him.That's a tough job by itself, but Daehwi's also trying to figure out who exactly knows everything and everyone in Hogwarts - and what exactly they want.takes place after amh (could be read on its own, but makes more sense if you've already read the rest of the series)





	1. please save hwanwoong from his own heart

**Author's Note:**

> dissendium - a spell that can be used to open anything which the caster chooses
> 
>  
> 
> this is my first chaptered fic, which i won't be posting all at once (whaaaa). takes place after amh, later on in the year !  
> it was supposed to be ******-centric but i added hwanwoong in and apparently i wasnt capable of writing him as a minor character, so he's basically the main character in this? though it's still centered around Daehwi !  
> but this is generally an intro fic: i introduce the rest of the main(ish) people who'll be present in the rest of the series, and the next work (storyline-wise, not necessarily posting-wise) will start having some more intense plot. mb ?? that's what im thinking so far, at least !!  
> i've realized that i don't really thoroughly proofread any of my fics since i typically write and then post w/o reading over them, so im sorry if there are any mistakes ! i'll probably read this more carefully later and fix any mistakes i find then, but until then please be lenient with any spelling/grammar errors  
> i hope u all enjoy reading this ! it's definitely more like amh that pp, but i hope that everyone who read either can enjoy this as well !

The Great Hall’s fairly crowded when Daehwi slides into the seat across from Jung Jung, ignoring the strange looks he gets from the Ravenclaws around them, and tries to look as nonchalant as he can.

Jung Jung gives him a curious look, and Daehwi leans forward, trying to speak quietly enough so that the students around them can’t hear, but not too quiet that Jung Jung himself can’t understand.

“I figured that, since you - and Hyeongseob, too, but I couldn’t find him anywhere - helped me with Dongho and Guanlin and all that, that you should tell you that we’re... You know.”

Jung Jung looked like he didn’t, but spoke before Daehwi had a chance to continue, “You’re dating?”  
Daehwi nods, not completely surprised but still somewhat taken aback, “Yeah, could you tell?”

“No, someone already told me.” he says, and Daehwi deflates before he shoots up.

“Wait, who told you-”

“Hey losers! Just kidding, hey loser and Jung Jung!” Hyeongseob says with no tact (as usual), sliding into one of the empty seats beside Jung Jung.

Daehwi doesn’t have to worry about defending his honor, though - Euiwoong smacks Hyeongseob up the back of his head with an exasperated sigh, half a step behind him.

“Sorry about him, Daehwi. But I heard about you, Guanlin, and Dongho! Congratulations!” Euiwoong sits down between Hyeongseob and Jung Jung so naturally; the other two’s bodies move seamlessly to make room for him.

Daehwi is able to get out a small “Thanks?”, but before he’s able to say anything else the food arrives - or rather, appears - and he’s far too distracted by his meal to interrogate the boys in front of him.

He only remembers when he’s walking back to the Hufflepuff common room, mind replaying the day’s events late (as usual). There’s nothing he can do about it, or at least not anymore, so he just shakes his head and passes it off as nothing. Guanlin and Dongho could have told them already - Guanlin may very well have mentioned it to Euiwoong, who could have then told the rest of the Yuehua boys. Either way, it’s no big deal - he, Guanlin, and Dongho had already agreed that they would have an public relationship, and had decided that it was fine to tell their friends whenever they wanted to. It’s a bit surprising though, but not enough for Daehwi to be alarmed. His mind drifts to other things, and he forgets it before his head hits his pillow and falls fast asleep.

 

\--------

 

Daehwi’s only slightly surprised when something similar happens the next day. Only this time, he’s talking to a Slytherin in the above - Yeo Hwanwoong - who he’s only talked to a few times but has found to be incredibly pleasant company. He’s beginning to share some rumors he had heard regarding some upperclassmen, but is stopped halfway through his sentence with a sheepish gaze.

“Someone already told me,” Hwanwoong says, looking apologetic, “but I couldn’t believe it happened!”

Daehwi sighs, slumping over. But Hwanwoong isn’t to blame, so he shoots the other a tired grin, shaking his head and straightening back up. “And apparently they were both trying to be Prefects next year, too. Can you imagine what would have happened if a _professor_ caught them, and not Jonghyun?”

Hwanwoong laughs, eyes twinkling conspiratorially, “I’d say being caught by Jonghyun is _worse_. Disappointing him is like- like disappointing your mom on her birthday.”

Daehwi laughs along with him, giggling as he imagines Jonghyun’s expression when he caught the upperclassmen.

Hwanwoong stops laughing abruptly, back straightening and expression frozen as he stares at something just above Daehwi’s shoulder.

“What what what-” he tries to ask, but a hand lands on his shoulder to turn him around before he can get an answer.

Dongho at least looks sheepish at freezing the atmosphere, though Daehwi knows the older didn’t mean to cause any of it. The classroom returns to its usual chatter soon enough, and Dongho relaxes slightly when Daehwi’s classmates stop staring at them.

“Hey,” Daehwi says, voice softer than he intends, but he clears his throat before he continues talking to Dongho like he would to a small puppy, “what brings you here?”

“I’m with Professor Lee this period - Charms Lee, not Potions Lee - and he wanted me to grab some stuff from another professor. I figured it was okay if I stopped by? If it isn’t, I can go.”  
From anyone else, it’d sound sarcastic, or teasing, but Dongho just sounds genuine, ready to leave the second Daehwi says he’s uncomfortable. He doesn’t, of course - partly because their relationship is undoubtedly still in the honeymoon phase, but also because Daehwi is always starving for affection and attention, especially from his boyfriends.

“Stay,” he urges, tugging on Dongho’s sleeve to make him sit down, “sit for a while. Will Professor Lee mind?”

Dongho shakes his head, smiling as he sits, “Doesn’t matter.”

“Hey! I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me.” Daehwi pouts, leaning away from the older so he can look at him properly.

Dongho sighs, but he can’t hide the grin on his face no matter how hard he tries, “It’ll be fine. I’m expected to be gone for at least half an hour - I only finished early because I used some magic. Which he didn’t say I _couldn’t_ use, so.”

It doesn’t take much more than that to convince Daehwi, and he’s content to learn in towards the older, nearly forgetting they were still in a classroom surrounded by a few dozen other students. He does notices when Hwanwoong shifts, clearly uncomfortable. Daehwi’s mind flashes - Guanlin telling him how the older had a massive crush on an upperclassman that’s completely unreciprocated - and he jolts away from Dongho, thankful that the Gryffindor doesn’t look offended as he does so.

If anything, he seems to have realized Daehwi’s concern, and turns to Hwanwoong with a gentle smile, “Hello, I’m Dongho. Sixth year Gryffindor. You’re Hwanwoong, right?”

Hwanwoong nods, and though he smiles and shakes Dongho’s hand, even Daehwi can see the way his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It reminds him of himself, back when he had been struggling with his emotions and watched the Yuehua boys be so happy with each other. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet you. You’re Daehwi’s - or one of his - boyfriends, right? Thanks for making him happy.”

Dongho laughs, rubbing at the back of his neck, “Thanks, but I can’t take all the credit. He’s got a lot of great friends looking out for him.”

Despite the general benevolence of the statement, Hwanwoong immediately sours and shuts down, curling into himself as much as he could without attracting too much attention. “Right,” he sighs, “friends.”

Daehwi and Dongho’s eyes light up at the same time, turning to each other with expressions that only really said _Yikes_.

They’re interrupted by the cause of the problem himself - Eunki walking into the classroom, eyes scanning the classroom until they land on Dongho. He sighs, although he doesn’t look surprised even in the slightest as he says, “Dongho! The professor wanted to see if you needed help carrying everything.” He looks pointedly towards the door, which Daehwi sees several various textbooks and equipment hovering in the air, and continues, “Which I should’ve known you wouldn’t. Figured you’d be visiting your boyfriend. Or well, one of them.” He pauses, and only then does he notice Hwanwoong, who is doing the closest thing Daehwi has seen to a peacock trying to fluff out its feathers. Daehwi would laugh if it wasn’t so _sad_.

Hwanwoong nearly shrieks when he makes eye contact with Eunki, dark flush rising onto his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Daehwi’s half a second from cooing over the older and pinching his cheeks, but he wasn’t sure how comfortable Dongho was with him being physically affectionate with others, so he held himself back just in case.

Eunki, however, had no such reservations and immediately leaned forward, eyes crinkling as he ruffled Hwanwoong’s hair, “Ah, look at you! First time I get you see you today and you’re still as cute as ever.”

Hwanwoong turned even more red, if that was possible. Daehwi knew Eunki didn’t mean any harm, but he still couldn’t help but wish the older would leave - his presence alone caused Hwanwoong more pain than the older would ever realize. Even if Daehwi wanted to find some solution to a problem, he wasn’t sure how he could help without being rude. What would he say - _hey, you’re a great guy but can you leave and never show up around Hwanwoong again?_ Like _that_ would go well.

Dongho seemed to sense Daehwi’s dilemma, and spoke up before anything regrettable happened, “Sorry about that, Eunki. We should probably head back now.” Eunki frowned, looking ready to argue, but Dongho cuts him off, saying goodbye to Daehwi and Hwanwoong. He shoots Daehwi a shy smile, confirming to meet up with Daehwi later with a quiet, “Dinner?”

Daehwi nods, smiling despite himself. Dongho is wonderful - despite his gruff and stoic appearance, he’s incredibly kind and extraordinarily fast at picking up even the faintest mood swings. He says it’s a habit he picked up worrying over a friend, but Daehwi’s never managed to pry out a name from the older. But the person who caused it isn’t as important as the fact that it’s a part of Dongho, and it’s a part that Daehwi loves and adores.

“Oh. See you later then, Hwanwoong. Bye, Daehwi.” Eunki’s smile is genuine, but Daehwi can tell how Hwanwoong’s own smile wavers at the sight.

The two upperclassmen leave quietly, and Hwanwoong releases a long sigh, leaning back as far as he can in his seat without falling over. Daehwi pats his back in what he hopes comed across as a sympathetic gesture, but is probably only comes across as vaguely pitying.

There’s not really much he can do, though - Eunki views Hwanwoong as the little brother he never had, and nothing seems to be able to change that, not even the younger’s desperate attempts to get his feelings reciprocated.

At least he was adamant against using a love potion - _there’s no point if his feelings aren’t genuine_ , Hwanwoong had said, _and besides, I’d feel too guilty to be happy_.

Still, Daehwi wishes there was something he could do for his classmate. While they’re not each other’s closest friends, they get along well enough, and Hwanwoong’s helped Daehwi more times than he’d like to admit.

He’s just about to offer something - he’s not sure exactly what, but whatever he can think of that could help Hwanwoong and his predicament - when a small, shrill chirping sound pierces through the air. Hwanwoong scrambles with his robe’s pockets, and Daehwi can only stare as the older pulls out a small rectangular device and places it next to his ear.

“Hey, Se- woah, slow down! What’d you say?” he asks, and Daehwi tries to figure out who he’s talking to. He’s not looking at Daehwi, but the younger can’t see anyone else that he might be talking to. Hwanwoong sighs, shaking his head almost fondly as he nods along to whomever he’s talking to, “Alright, alright. Thanks.”

He pulls the _thing_ away from his face, pressing a button on the surface before sliding it back into his pocket and smiling sheepishly at Daehwi, who’s still as lost as ever.

“What?” Daehwi asks, quite intelligently.

“Sorry about that, someone called me.” Hwanwoong rocks back and forth in his seat, looking… nervous?

“Called you? I didn’t see anyone calling you.” Daehwi will focus on whatever’s causing Hwanwoong’s emotions after he figures out the strange device and how Hwanwoong had been using it.

“Oh, right. You’re a Pureblood, so you wouldn’t- they called me through my phone. Phones are-” he pauses, squinting as he tries to figure out how to best describe the strange device, “phones are like owls. Let’s just keep it at that. You can send messages and communicate in real-time through phones.”

“Oh,” Daehwi says, pretending that it makes sense (it really doesn’t), “okay. Well, what did they say?”

Hwanwoong hesitates, but soon enough he sighs and nods. “They wanted me to try looking at other people.”

“What.”

“Like, blind dates. They want me to try going on dates with other people. To get over- over you-know-who.”

Daehwi scrunches his face up, “Dude. Describe him in a different way unless you want people to think you’ve got the hots for No-Nose Snake Face.”

“Daehwi!” Hwanwoong whines, looking offended.

“What?” Daehwi shrugs, grinning, “It’s true.”

“ _Still_.” Hwanwoong says, and Daehwi raises his hands up, backing off.

“Alright, alright. But blind dates? How many?”

Hwanwoong groans, slumping down onto the table in front of them, careful not to land on any of the quills or parchments sprawled on it. “I don’t know. They just said a ‘hella lot’, so. I don’t know how many dates I’ll end up having to get ready for, and _wait how do you get ready for a blind date-_ ” he shoots back up, hands clamping down onto Daehwi’s shoulders, “Daehwi! You’re dating _two_ people! You can help me, right?”

Daehwi wants to tell the older that he’s almost completely certain that he didn’t attract Guanlin or Dongho with his fashion sense, but he nods anyways. “Sure, Hwanwoong. Just name a time and place and I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Daehwi,” Hwanwoong releases a long sigh of relief, “I knew I could count on you.”

 

\--------

 

“Why, again, did I ask you for help? You’re as bad as Jihoon, and he wears mismatched shoes on  _ purpose _ .”

“Hey!” said boy shouts from the hallway. They both ignore him in favor of looking at Hwanwoong’s outfit, which is currently a neon green button up and dark yellow slacks, tied together with a short furry belt. It’s the seventh outfit Daehwi’s had Hwanwoong try on, and he would feel bad if he didn’t find it kind of funny.

Daehwi shrugs sheepishly, reaching for another belt, “Maybe changing the belt would help?”

Hwanwoong’s response is interrupted with a loud noise from the doorway, and both boys crane their necks to see what caused it. Yoon Jisung, beloved Gryffindor and cat-loving seventh year, slides into the room with a loud whoop and a grin. It’s only a moment before he sees Hwanwoong and his smile is quickly replaced by a horror-stricken expression. “Dear  _ Merlin _ .” he gasps.

“It’s not  _ that _ bad!” Daehwi insists, but Jisung gives him a pointed look that has him trailing off.

“Child, stop. Let Mommy Jisung handle this.” Jisung grabs a white t-shirt and makes grabby hand gestures at Hwanwoong, who doesn’t look as scared as Daehwi would be in his shoes.

“Please never say that again.” Hwanwoong says, wincing. His expression changes into one of confusion after a moment, and he turns to the older with a questioning look, “Wait, why are you here?”

Jisung shrugs, flipping his hair as best as he can while it’s only a few inches long, and shoves the shirt at Hwanwoong until he complies and takes off the button up to put it on, “A little birdie told me that Hwanwoong had some blind dates to prepare for, and that  _ you _ ,” he gives Daehwi an unimpressed look, “were trying to help him prepare for them.”

Daehwi feels like he should get used to people knowing everything, but he still can’t help but be surprised as he tries to figure out who  _ had _ called for the oldest - it wasn’t Hwanwoong, obviously, and it wasn’t him, but he had no idea who else it could be. “Wait, who told you-”

“ _ Merlin _ , you work out! And you’re younger than me- what? Life isn’t fair!” Jisung whines, and Daehwi turns to look at where Hwanwoong stands a few meters away.

He’s not quite as muscular or broad as Dongho (Merlin knows if there’s anyone who can give Dongho’s muscles a run for their money), but there’s no denying that the constant dancing the Slytherin does helps his physique. Daehwi gives a complimentary whistle of appreciation, and Hwanwoong flushes, pulling the t-shirt on as fast as he can.

“You have two boyfriends, Daehwi! Stop whistling at me like that!” Hwanwoong complains, obviously flustered. Daehwi snickers but acquiesces soon enough, sending the older a grin.

“Kids these days,” Jisung mutters. “Okay, back to his outfit. It’s cold, so we’re going to layer you  _ up _ . Wear this,” he hands him a black hoodie that Daehwi is pretty sure wasn’t there before, “and this on top.” he holds out a dark blue denim jacket, which Hwanwoong puts on without complaint.

“You look really nice, Hwanwoong!” Daehwi smiles, playfully hitting the older’s arm. He pauses, retracting his arm once he scans the rest of his body, “Though you could do with some pants.”

“No need to worry, little ‘woong. You can’t go wrong with some dark skinnies!” Jisung throws a pair of black skinny jeans at Hwanwoong, who’s unable to catch it in time and gets hit straight in the face instead. “Sorry?” Jisung offers.

“That was the most unapologetic apology I’ve ever heard.” Hwanwoong laughs, then begins the task of trying to put the tight jeans on. “Now I just gotta… Get them on…” Hwanwoong’s struggles would be a lot more entertaining to Daehwi if he hadn’t experienced the same thing himself. He tries to help pulling at the waistband of the pants, but it still takes several long seconds before they slide up Hwanwoong’s legs all the way. Hwanwoong releases a long sigh of relief once he’s completely situated, turning to Daehwi with a smile, “Thanks, Daehwi.”

“No problem. That was my workout for today!”

Hwanwoong stares at him.

“I’m just kidding! Merlin, I may not be as fit as you, but I do more than wrangle skinny jeans on a daily basis!” Daehwi pouts.

This time, Jisung turns to give him a disbelieving stare.

“Okay, fine, that’s like the most I’ve done this month, but  _ still _ -”

“Nope, that’s it- you’re coming with me to the gym this weekend.” Jisung says, head tilted up towards the air in a way that’s probably supposed to look dignified but mostly makes him look like he’s about to sneeze.

“I didn’t know you went to the gym.” Hwanwoong says, and Jisung’s eye twitches.

“I go! I may not work out, but I go!” Jisung insists. “And I occasionally go on the treadmill. I can’t exercise  _ that _ often, you know, because I’m so old-”

“You’re only eighteen years old, Jisung. You’re not an old man.” Hwanwoong and Daehwi deadpan. The oldest pointedly ignores them in favor of rummaging around in Hwanwoong’s closet, soon returning with a pair of simple black sneakers.

“Anyways! Wear these shoes, and you’re sure to steal some hearts. And please tell me you’re not going out with your hair like that?”

“Why?” Hwanwoong’s hands reach up to pat his hair subconsciously, “What’s wrong with it?”

Jisung sighs like a disappointed mother finding out her suspicions about her kid were true. “Sweet little Hwanwoong, you haven’t brushed your hair in at least a week. And don’t even bother denying it! Your hair is worse than Daehwi straight out of bed.”

Hwanwoong deflates immediately, “Oh, right. I don’t suppose you’re particularly good at styling hair, Jisung?”

Jisung scoffs, pretending to flip his hair over his shoulder again, “Boy, I’m a  _ god  _ at styling hair. And with twenty minutes I’ll make sure your face looks as great as it’s gonna get, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anyone curious, the outfit hwanwoong has describe as wearing can be seen [here](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s480x480/e35/c160.0.640.640/18947496_142977939582061_9042183657447489536_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTUyOTk5NjE3MjAyMjA1ODEzNA%3D%3D.2.c) and [here](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/17439356_1002688189861974_2186867944053538816_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTQ3ODQxNzA4NDI5OTc2NTEzNA%3D%3D.2) !  
>  ~~and if you're able to, please enter[this hwanwoong poll](http://freeonlinesurveys.com/p/ag5Kxoho?qid=974724) ! (this will be available to take throughout the fic, but you can only vote once !)~~ this poll is now closed ! if you would like to vote on what things you would like to happen, please participate in the most recent poll !


	2. adventures in polyamory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daehwi spends some much-appreciated time with his boyfriends, but receives some news that leaves him scrambling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyy it's up !! it took a bit longer than i expected bc i realized that i only had about 1k for what i planned to post for ch 2 (and i felt like that could be a disappointing update, especially compared to ch 1's 3.2k) but here it is !!  
> updates probably won't be on a regular schedule, so if you want to know when the next chapter's up subscribe! (or just keep checking this, but i feel like that could get a little tiring after a while)  
> and from now on i'll be including links at the end notes for each chapter, which will redirect you to a poll where you can answer a question about what you want to happen in the fic !! some may be more important to the story, and some are smaller and cuter details, and there may be multiple links/polls for each chapter, but there should always be at least one from here on out.
> 
> nyways thank u for clicking to read this and i hope you enjoy !!!

Daehwi decides pretty quickly that it’s _way_ too stressful to just sit around worrying about how Hwanwoong’s date is going, and decides to try and distract himself instead by studying. He instantly begins to regret not paying attention during Herbology - he is behind on nearly every topic covered in the class, and he honestly doubts he’ll be able to catch up in time for their next exam. He blows out a sigh of frustration, slumping down onto his textbook. If he’s not going to get anything done, he might as well sleep. And maybe he’ll absorb some of the information by sleeping on top of his textbooks! (Which he’s also filing under his worryingly large category called, _stupid ideas from seongwoo only to be done under dire circumstances_.) He sighs and lets his eyes flutter closed, falling into a light sleep within moments.

He wakes up slowly, blinking the sleep away from his eyes as he straightens up in his chair, yawning as he stretches. His vision clears up after a moment, and he nearly jumps when he sees Dongho and Guanlin sitting across from him at the table he had been using to sleep study at.

Upon closer inspection, Daehwi realizes that Dongho’s asleep, and Guanlin is on some strange rectangular device that vaguely resembles the “phone” he had seen Hwanwoong use. He doesn’t seem to have realized that Daehwi’s awake yet, and nearly falls out of his chair when they make eye contact.

Daehwi laughs quietly, unable to pretend that he’s not incredibly smitten by the younger.

“How long have you been awake?” Guanlin asks, careful to keep his voice quiet as to not disturb Dongho’s sleep.

Daehwi cracks his neck, giving Guanlin a reassuring smile, “Just woke up, don’t worry. How long have you guys been here?”

“We came after Quidditch practice.” Guanlin says, then explains, “Not team practice. By yourself. What’s it called?”

“Individual practice or solo practice. Either one works.” Daehwi answers, and his heart swells when he sees Guanlin mouth the words afterwords, trying to imitate how Daehwi had said it. Despite the fact that Guanlin was far from fluent, the younger had a dedication towards learning the language that was far from insignificant (and incredibly effective at making Daehwi fall even harder for him).

“Thank you! We came from individual practice. We asked and… And we were told that you are in the library! So we wanted to see you.” Guanlin grins, obviously proud of himself, and Daehwi can’t help but feel the same way.

Daehwi _seriously_ doesn’t deserve either of them, but he’s thankful to whatever higher power decided to put them in Daehwi’s life. “Thanks,” he smiles at Guanlin, whose smile increases tremendously in response, “I’m glad you came. I’m guessing that Dongho was really tired after practice?”

Guanlin nods enthusiastically, leaning forward conspiratorially as he whispers, “He overheard some upperclassmen in his team considering him to be captain for next year, and he’s trying to do his best to get the position.”

Daehwi smiles as he imagines Dongho flying around the field faster than normal, trying to make sure the upperclassmen see how well he does. Practically everyone knows how important Quidditch is to Dongho, and having the position as Quidditch captain would certainly be one of the best things that Dongho could ever ask for.

“He was going to tell you, but after a few minutes he fell asleep.” Guanlin giggles, trying to cover the sound with his hands and only somewhat succeeding.

Dongho nearly wakes up at the sound, and both Guanlin and Daehwi fall silent instantly, waiting to see if the older will completely stir. He doesn’t, though, and the two release a small sigh of relief. Dongho was undoubtedly adorable when he first wakes up, but he’s also cranky more often than not if he’s woken up before he’s ready, and it’s caused more than a few arguments between them. It’s something they’ve been working on fixing, but it’s a slow process that Daehwi doesn’t really think he has the energy to work on right now.

He points to the device in Guanlin’s hands instead, redirecting his mind to something else before he gets lost in his thoughts, “What’s that? A phone?”

Guanlin looks surprised, but breaks out into a small smile after a moment, “Yeah, it is. How’d you know? I thought you didn’t know a lot of muggle things.”

“I don’t,” he admits sheepishly, “but I saw Hwanwoong use one earlier and asked him about it. You use it to communicate, right?”

“Right. The service is pretty bad because we’re in a castle in the middle of nowhere, but someone installed Wi-Fi routers that everyone who needs to can use.”

Daehwi blinks. “Wi… Fi? Routers?”

“Um, I’m not really good at explaining it - I know someone who can, but I think they’re busy right now… Wi-Fi is this thing you use for your devices so you can access the internet and communicate.”

“‘Internet’?”

“Ah, it’s too hard to explain.” Guanlin shakes his head, and from anyone else Daehwi would think he was doing something wrong, but he knows that it’s most likely because the younger is frustrated with the language barrier.

“It’s fine; I can always ask Professor Kwon which will both answer my questions _and_ distract them for like half the class.” he jokes, and feels maybe a _bit_ too pleased with himself when Guanlin laughs a little in response.

Daehwi can tell the younger still feels a bit bad about not being able to answer Daehwi’s questions, so the Hufflepuff speaks up again before he can start feeling really guilty.

“What were you doing on your phone? Was it a game?”

Guanlin perks up immediately, clearly happy that he has a chance to help Daehwi, “Yes! There are these two cars - one red and one blue - and you have to try and let each car hit the circles and avoid the triangles. It’s really fun! Do you want to try?”

Daehwi chuckles, waving him off, “No, I’m terrible at games. Could I watch you play, though?”

Guanlin nods enthusiastically in response, moving to the seat beside Daehwi so the older can watch him play.

They stay like that for a while, sides pressed together under the pretense of being able to see the screen and hair tickling each other’s face, sharing funny stories in little whispers between giggles and peaceful silence. Combined with the comfortable presence of Dongho across from them, Daehwi can’t think of a better way to spend his time.

 

\--------

 

It begins to get dark outside in a few hours, sunlight fading from where it had been shining in from the library’s windows. Daehwi and Guanlin are both yawning by now, struggling to stay alert as they check the time.

“Head back to one of our rooms and sleep?” Guanlin asks, words partially mumbled from fatigue. Daehwi’s known that the younger’s pronunciation changes slightly when he’s excited, but hearing it when the boy is nearly asleep on his feet still makes Daehwi’s heart do cartwheels in his chest.

“Sure,” Daehwi whispers, then points at Dongho with his wand and whispers, “ _wingardium leviosa._ ” The oldest’s sleeping body trails behind the two as they walk along the halls, quickly deciding to stay in Guanlin’s room - it’s the closest to the library, and he has plenty of room for all three of them.

As close as it is, it still takes them nearly thirty minutes to get there; their exhaustion makes them get lost more than once, and it’s difficult for them to navigate quickly through the long and winding corridors. They arrive in one piece, though, and push an unused bed next to Guanlin’s with a simple charm that Daehwi’s glad he learned to the point where he could do it so easily even as he was exhausted. He honestly doubts that he or Guanlin would have either the strength or the energy to move the bed across the carpeted floor, and he winces at the thought.

He and Guanlin set Dongho on the bed first, then arrange themselves on the remaining space, careful not to disturb the oldest. Daehwi’s too tired to say goodnight to Guanlin properly, but he manages to grasp the younger’s hand to press a gently kiss to it, eyes fluttering shut as he hears him whisper, “Goodnight, Daehwi.”

It’s in their presence - in the presence of two of the most important people in his life - that Daehwi is lulled into the most peaceful slumber he’s ever experienced, dreaming of good days and happy memories that never end.

 

\--------

 

When Daehwi wakes up, he nearly panics as he does so, only relaxing when he realizes that it’s a weekend and he doesn’t have any classes. He begins to freak out again when he doesn’t see either Dongho nor Guanlin anywhere in the room, but is quickly calmed when he sees a small note on a nearby table. Each letter is short and small, round in the way Daehwi has gotten used to associating with Dongho.

 _Hey sleepyhead,_ it reads, _we didn’t want to wake you, so in case you woke up before we came back: good morning! We went out for a walk around campus so all three of us can have breakfast together later. If you’re staying up, see you soon! And if you’re going back to sleep: sleep well! We’ll be here next time you wake up for sure :)_

Daehwi smiles at the words, fingers tracing over the ink as he reads it to himself. He doesn’t particularly care that the two went on a walk without him (he knows plenty of others that would get jealous at even the suggestion), since he’s never really liked walking around without a destination in mind, and he wants to give Dongho and Guanlin some time to spend together, especially since he and Guanlin were able to have a lot of time together last night. He yawns and stretches, deciding that he might as well stay up and explore the common room before his boyfriends came back. He doesn’t want to snoop in Guanlin’s room, so he figures that the Slytherin common room was a safe bet to check out instead.

Quietly leaving the room and navigating his way to the common room, Daehwi feels like what he sees is a bit surreal; he’s been in the Gryffindor common room before, but something about the Slytherin common room - something about how this was the house he used to swear he would end up in - puts him in a weird mood. It’s not _bad_ per se, just unfamiliar. It feels almost _introspective_ , and Daehwi decides to (for once) acknowledge his emotions and try to understand them.

He takes a seat on a couch in front of the fireplace, folding his legs up so his feet can sit on the cushion, and rests his chin on top of his knees. He takes a deep breath, breathing in slowly to relax himself as he tries to pinpoint the exact emotions he’s feeling. It’s not jealousy - he’s at least certain of that - but they’re difficult for him to describe and recognize. He mentally berates himself for ignoring his emotions too long, but tries not to dwell on it too long, instead focusing on ‘improving his present self so his future self can benefit’, as Jonghyun likes to put it. Daehwi takes another deep breath, careful to exhale slowly and evenly, letting his mind calm down so it can work its best.

After a few minutes of trying to examine his thoughts, Daehwi shakes his body out to avoid getting any cramps and calls it a day. He wasn’t _completely_ successful, but he certainly didn’t fail, so that’s enough for him right now. He redirects his mind to waiting for his boyfriends; he doesn’t know what time they left or how long they planned on being out for, but they must’ve been gone for at least half an hour since Daehwi woke up.

He sighs when several moments of silence pass without any sign of them showing up. Daehwi decides to entertain himself until the two return, and lights up at the sight of a nearby bookcase, filled up with books of various colors and sizes. He gets up to grab a few, settling back down when he’s satisfied with his choices. He may not be a Ravenclaw, but it didn’t mean he didn’t value knowledge and learning, especially through books.

It’s only a few moments before he’s completely enraptured, eyes glued to the pages and completely unaware of his surroundings as he takes in the book word by word, page by page. Which is safe to say that when Guanlin stands behind him and taps him on the shoulder, Daehwi releases a high pitched scream only found in horror films. He releases a heaving gasp once he realizes who it is, and glares at Dongho from where the older’s bent over laughing.

Guanlin is giggling too, and it takes less than a second for him to crack a grin as well, easily laughing at his own over-reaction. They end up all migrating back to Guanlin’s room, eyes still crinkled with mirth and lips curved up at the edges as they settle down.

“Did you guys have a good walk?” Daehwi asks, and he feels a burst of fondness in his chest when Guanlin nods enthusiastically.

“It’d be nice to have you with us next time, though.” Dongho says, and Guanlin’s nodding increases tenfold.

“Yes!” Guanlin agrees, “There were some really pretty flowers that we found. I didn’t want to pick them, and a picture wouldn’t have been the same, so you should come with us!”

Daehwi sighs but agrees - he’s found himself to be doing plenty of things he thought he’d never do willingly, all for the sake of making Dongho and Guanlin happy. He didn’t mind, though - so far it’s allowed him to try and enjoy various things and activities he would normally never come close to.

Guanlin and Dongho cheer and stick their hands out for a high five, whooping loudly when Daehwi gives in and high-fives them. As childish as he might view it, he’s more fond than anything else when Guanlin gives a little victory dance to celebrate. His heart doesn’t beat rapidfire in his chest like it used to all the time (Daehwi’s found that - at least for right now - it’s only reserved for moments rare and far between), instead feeling like it was the same as it typically was, although Daehwi knew that he wasn’t completely unaffected either.

He didn’t feel the red hot flames of embarrassment or infatuation that poets and songwriters swore by, just the soft glow of affection and adoration that can only come from time and something _very_ real that Daehwi’s trying to convince himself he doesn’t feel.

He shakes his head to get rid of his thoughts - _later_ , he thinks to himself - and pouts as he leans forward. “I’m hungry.” Daehwi pouts, making the expression he knows is the most likely to get him what he wants, “Can we get breakfast?”

It turns out neither of them needed much convincing, since the two’s stomachs growl before Daehwi can finish speaking. They both flush, obviously embarrassed no matter how much they may try to convince themselves otherwise, and Daehwi can’t help but laugh a little at the sight.

“C’mon,” he takes a hand from both of them, pulling them up so they’re standing and leading the way out of the room and towards the Great Hall, “let’s go fill up those stomachs.”

 

\--------

 

Breakfast is fairly uneventful - at this point in their relationship, not even the teachers bat an eye when they sit together at a table, separated from the rest of their houses. Daehwi’s even pretty sure that a few of the teachers had been talking about the three of them, which isn’t surprising considering that they’re three guys in an open romantic relationship. _Unusual_ is a pretty big understatement.

They sit at the Hufflepuff table today, having worked out a schedule so they rotate between each of their house’s tables so they can sit with their friends from those houses equally. Daehwi knows some people don’t like the idea of eating all three meals with whoever they’re dating, needing their own alone time or space to hang out with their friends.

Daehwi understands that, but he - and both of his boyfriends, thankfully - prefer eating in each other’s company. Since they’re all in different years and houses, it’s rare for them to see each other even on a daily basis, and since they have a lot of mutual friends, eating meals together is one of their most common ways to spend time with each other. They’re sitting with Jonghyun and some other upperclassmen that Daehwi isn’t particularly close with, but are extra friendly and welcoming to him and Guanlin so that they feel comfortable.

Daehwi’s incredibly grateful for it, even more so as he watches Guanlin relax and laugh without any worries. He sees Hyeongseob waving at him from the corner of his eye, and he excuses himself quickly, walking as fast as he can to where the older looks incredibly thoughtful. (Or constipated, but Daehwi sincerely hoped it was the former.)

“Daehwi Daehwi Daehwi Da-” Hyeongseob chants like a mantra, looking disappointed but not surprised when Daehwi cuts him off.

“I’m here, what?” he asks. He enjoys the older’s personality and company, but he’d also much rather spend the limited time he has with his boyfriends rather than a friend he has countless opportunities to talk to.

“Calm down, man. Just figured that Guanlin probably didn’t tell you about what’s happening in a few weeks.”

“Um,” Daehwi starts, and sighs when he can’t think of the younger mentioning any important dates, “he didn’t. What’s going on?”

“I think you mean, ‘what’s going on, dear lovely and all-knowing Hyeongseob sir’?” Hyeongseob mimics some sort of weird scribe that Daehwi pointedly ignores, “Alright fine, sorry. In about…” he glances towards Euiwoong, who’s been sitting quietly, the only sound that’s come from his direction so far the sound of him eating and flipping through his notes.

“Sixteen days.” the younger supplies, and Hyeongseob snaps his fingers in response.

“Yes! In sixteen days, it’s Guanlin’s birthday! We all figured that he probably didn’t tell you - since he’s absolutely smitten and would rather have to learn fifty languages than burden you or make you feel like you had to do things for him - and that you’d probably want to know, so. There you go!”

Daehwi huffs, honestly not that surprised at the news. “Should’ve known he wouldn’t have told me himself. Thanks, Hyeongseob and Euiwoong.” He’s about to head back to his table before he pauses, then turns to the two of them with an apologetic look, “Would either of you be able to help me pick out a gift for him? And help me plan a birthday party?”

Euiwoong chuckles, setting his notes down carefully on the table, making sure to not getting even the most miniscule of crumbs on it, “Figured you’d ask. And just giving you a head’s up - whatever you do, _don’t_ let either Hyeongseob or Justin near any glitter. They’ll try to come up with an excuse to have it, and it will either end in death, a hospital visit, or Jonghyun having to help in the middle of the night when he’s _seriously_ cranky. Deal?”

Daehwi isn’t quite sure what he’s agreeing to, but he nods nonetheless, “Deal. When do we start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first thing's first: the polls ! the format i wrote them in is (gen/ch #) QUESTION. if it says (gen) at the beginning, it's a general question that doesn't have a single specific time it's going to appear in the fic. if it says (ch #) at the beginning, it's a question relevant to information/people in the chapter # stated - not when it's going to/should have happened !!  
>  ~~poll for this chapter is available~~[ ~~here~~](https://goo.gl/forms/Vgh0ZVHZyGujGlvt2) ~~! please take it if you can, and answer each question as best as you can !!~~  
>  this poll is now closed ! if you would like to vote on what things you would like to happen, please participate in the most recent poll !  
> you can only answer once (at least i think so), so make sure you pick the option you really want to see!
> 
> thank u vvvv much for reading this and i hope u enjoyed it !! remember to vote in the polls to help decide some things that happen next :DD remember to subscribe if you want to know when the next chapter is out, but i'd say it should be up in about a week !!


	3. a change of heart (or not)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hwanwoong escapes his own worries by focusing on helping Daehwi. Daehwi may end up needing more help than expected, but working alongside with Dongho makes everything a lot easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooo chapter's up !! yall have probably already seen wanna one's debut mv so u all can scream along w me about everyone bc !!!! visuals like whOA. the vocals !!! the rap !!!!!!! im just !!!!!!!!!!!  
> nyways here's the third chapter !! to say the mv motivated me to write is a major understatement :_))) so u can expect ch 4 pretty soon !!

It’s nearly a week since Hwanwoong was supposed to have gone on his blind date, but Daehwi hasn’t gotten a chance to see the older since then; he had to miss class to do things for other teachers, and when he  _ was _ there, Hwanwoong wasn’t. He hadn’t let himself worry about it too much, having instead chosen to spend time with his boyfriends, trying to get to know both of them better as they explored parts of the castle he had never seen before. They mostly talked about their hobbies - Dongho and Guanlin promising to not talk too much about quidditch in fear of excluding Daehwi from the conversation. It’s not that big of a deal to Daehwi, since he still knows a decent amount about the sport from being a fairly regular commentator, but he recognizes the thought and care that the two put into making him feel secure in their relationship. Daehwi  _ seriously _ doesn’t know what he did to deserve them, but there’s not a single moment that goes by that he isn’t thankful for it.

He’s just split up from his boyfriends and is heading towards the Hufflepuff common room when he catches sight of Hwanwoong, who looks incredibly dazed. The older’s eyes are unfocused and cloudy, and his posture lacks the usual professionalism and maturity he always carries.

At first, Daehwi thinks that it’s the effect of some spell, but the Slytherin snaps to his senses when Daehwi gets closer and waves a hand in front of his face.

“Oh, hey! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Hwanwoong at least looks sheepish, but Daehwi stares him down, daring the older to act as though there wasn’t something that had happened to him during the blind date.

“Your date?” Daehwi prods, and Hwanwoong visibly gulps.

“What about the blind date?” He asks weakly, and Daehwi gives him the most disappointed look that he can muster. (If he’s being honest, he’s mostly imitating Jonghyun’s face from the one time he caught Minki and Aron trying to fit thirty chocolate frogs in their mouths, but Hwanwoong doesn’t need to know that.)

“So?” Daehwi asks again.

Hwanwoong sighs, and if Daehwi looks closely enough, he can see that there’s still a faintly dazed look in the older’s eyes as he speaks, “Um, the blind date went horribly. It turns out it wasn’t just one today - it was at least ten, and by the end of it I was ready to run out the door and never date again, but.”

“But?”

“I mean, I  _ did _ end up running out - this guy kept on going on about how he was ‘so cool’ and was ‘mega rich’, and then proceeded to spout a bunch of hypocritical racist nonsense at me that I don’t think  _ he _ even understood. And then tried to kiss me  _ after _ eating shrimp, which I  _ clearly _ told him I was really badly allergic to.”

Daehwi winces in sympathy, frowning at the thought of such a person. He won’t let Hwanwoong avoid giving him any details, though - and urges the older to continue talking.

“So I leave, right - I pay my part of the meal, of course, and I’m just walking around, and since the date was pretty far away from Hogwarts - like near the major cities, kind of - there are a bunch of muggles around.” He pauses to give Daehwi a steadying look, “This is when it gets weird. So I’m just minding my own business, trying to calm down from that mess of a date, when I see this guy on top of a freaking  _ phone booth _ , screaming for someone to join their performing group at a volume that I didn’t think people could even  _ reach _ . And then the guy points at me because I made eye contact with him for like, half a second, and demands that I perform something to see if I’d be a good fit for their group. I try to leave, but then it turns out the guy has these friends -  _ weird _ friends, by the way - who trap me in. And normally I would be panicking, except one of the guys is literally bouncing back and forth like this-” Hwanwoong extends his arms and legs so they’re straight, and positions them so he looks a bit like a star, and then hops, balancing on one foot then the other, “so it’s a bit hard to be intimidated by that.”

“So you ended up performing?” Daehwi asks, then grins in excitement, “Did you  _ dance _ ?”

Hwanwoong gives a wry smile, shrugging, “What else would I do? Weird people as an audience or not, a dancer’s gotta take every chance they’ve got to show off their skills.”

“What kind of dance did you do?” Daehwi asks, barely able to contain his excitement at the thought of Hwanwoong dancing. The older had an undeniable talent, and every routine that Daehwi’s seen has left him  _ shaken _ .

“Patience, Daehwi. I’m getting to that. Anyways, I agree, because - you know. And they’re like, ‘okay, let’s just put on three different songs and you dance to it! Ha ha ha we’re so clever’” Hwanwoong imitates, putting his hands on his hips as he makes a derp face. He clears his throat, focusing back on the story, “Anyways, so the first one is a song from like - 2010 or something, and it’s super cutesy, which I  _ know _ I can do, so that goes well. Second song is a newer song, but way more American pop-ish than the first one, and around then a bunch of people started gathering around and filming me, which was embarrassing but also  _ hella _ flattering. Last long was, um.” Hwanwoong’s cheeks are tinted red as he avoids eye contact with Daehwi, staring resolutely at the floor. “It was a song that I had already learned the choreo for, so that went pretty well.”

Daehwi narrows his eyes. As confident as Hwanwoong may be in himself and his dances, there were certain limitations to how boldly he could act about them when he wasn’t performing. “Was it sex in the c-”

“We don’t say that name!” Hwanwoong screeches, slapping a hand over Daehwi’s mouth.

Daehwi laughs anyways, Hwanwoong quickly retrieving his hand before Daehwi can bite it, and can’t help but grin as he remember when he first saw the boy perform it; his moves had been incredible, and his body moved like water, but upon closer inspection, the Slytherin’s cheeks and ears had been a bright crimson color throughout the entirety of the song.

“Anyways!” Hwanwoong continues, resolutely ignoring everything that had just happened, “I got lots of applause, and it’s all like whoo, confidence boost! But then the group of guys ask me to join their group, and they’re all so  _ soft _ and  _ small _ \- well, not that small - and how could I say no to them?”

Daehwi smiles, nodding along before he freezes. “Wait. You joined a  _ muggle performance group _ ?”

Hwanwoong frowns, “What does them being muggle have to do with it?”

Daehwi rolls his eyes, flicking the older in the forehead with his finger, “You know I’m not someone to have a thing against muggles. But whatever school they go to, it won’t have the same schedule as Hogwarts, which is probably like fifty million miles from where they live, and you’ll have to try hiding magic from them during  _ however _ long you plan on spending time with them.  _ Please _ tell me you have  _ some _ sort of plan.”

“Um. Not really?” Hwanwoong tries to avoid getting flicked again, but only ends up bumping into someone behind him.

He nearly screams when he realizes it’s Eunki, though Daehwi notices that the usual flush that usually appears on his cheeks around the older isn’t nearly as prominent as it usually is. Daehwi chalks it up to the fact that the older’s probably still out of it, and just reminds himself to keep observing the other for now.

“Woah, careful there!” Eunki steadies the Slytherin with hands on his shoulders, which Hwanwoong quickly maneuvers out of. Eunki seems a bit surprised -  _ and _ put off - but Hwanwoong gives Daehwi a pleading look the youngest can’t deny.

“Hey, Eunki! What brings you here?” Daehwi asks, and Eunki turns to him with a smile, seemingly forgetting about Hwanwoong’s reaction.

“Oh, I just finished talking to a professor about an assignment I had some questions about. How about you guys?”

“Same thing!” Daehwi answers quickly, “But we promised to meet up with Guanlin and Euiwoong and Co., so we should probably get going.” Daehwi pulls on Hwanwoong’s arm, moving him away from the oldest just in case.

“Oh!” Eunki’s eyes light up slightly, and the oldest remains blissfully unaware of how Hwanwoong tenses at the sight of it, “How’s Jung Jung? I haven’t seen him around lately.”

“He’s fine! Everyone’s fine! We’ve really got to go, though, sorry. See you later!” Daehwi waves quickly and sprints away as fast as he can, mindful not to run so fast that Hwanwoong can’t keep up. Considering his physical health, though, he shouldn’t have worried - it’s only a few moments before Hwanwoong’s leading him more than vice versa.

“Thanks,” Hwanwoong says once they’re far enough away from Eunki, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been there.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Hwanwoong! You probably would’ve figured something out. Probably.” Daehwi jokes, and Hwanwoong rolls his eyes fondly at the younger. “I’m just joking. But I actually am going to meet up with Euiwoong and Hyeongseob. Wanna come with?”

Hwanwoong shrugs, “Sure why not? What’re you meeting up with them for?”

Daehwi rubs the back of his neck sheepishly as he speaks, “I need help figuring out what kind of gift to get Guanlin for his birthday. Since we never were close enough to give each other birthday presents before, I’m not sure what I should give him,  _ especially _ since we’re dating.”

Hwanwoong nods sagely, “Right, right. Ah, the perils of a new relationship.”

Daehwi pouts at him, “C’mon, Hwanwoong. Please?”

“If you insist,” Hwanwoong giggles, bumping his shoulder against Daehwi’s, “lead the way.”

 

\--------

 

Daehwi and Hwanwoong arrive a little earlier than the younger had agreed to meet up with the others, but they only have to wait a few minutes before Hyeongseob is barreling towards them, Euiwoong hot on his tail.

“Incoming!” Hyeongseob bellows, and Daehwi has barely enough time to cast a cushioning spell at the incoming boy before it’s too late.

Hyeongseob collides into the invisible cloud-like object, basically bouncing off and into Euiwoong’s waiting arms.

Daehwi would find it romantic if Euiwoong’s face wasn’t that of barely constrained calm and quickly diminishing patience.

“So!” Hwanwoong says, quick to diffuse the tension, “You guys were going to help Daehwi pick a present for Guanlin, right? Mind if I help?”

Euiwoong turns to the oldest with a smile, dropping Hyeongseob to the ground and ignoring the yelp of surprise he lets out, “I’m pretty sure Daehwi needs all the help he can get. You’re Hwanwoong, right? Year four, Slytherin? You did that one performance, right? Sex in th-”

“Yes! Yes, that’s me. Anyways!” Hwanwoong shrieks, ears a cherry red color that spreads to the back of his neck, “Let’s figure out what kind of gift Daehwi should give his boyfriend.”

“Yes, let’s please focus.” Daehwi groans. At first, he hadn’t been too concerned about finding a gift to give Guanlin, but as more and more time passes by, he finds himself worrying about what would happen if he gave the youngest a bad gift - would he not like him as much? Would it hurt their relationship? Would they have to break up? What if it was so bad Guanlin hated him and never spoke to him again? What if they split up and continued to hate him until he died?

“You’re overthinking things.” Hyeongseob pipes up from the floor (which still hasn’t stood up from, being the over-dramatic person that he is), interrupting Daehwi’s thoughts, “Stop it.”

“Who said I was overthinking things?” Daehwi sputters.

Hyeongseob scrunches his face at him, sighing before he speaks again, “You make the same face Euiwoong does when he starts getting too far into his head. Stop psyching yourself out.”

Euiwoong blinks, obviously a bit surprised at the idea of Hyeongseob knowing and being able to recognize the various emotions he deals with. “Um.”

“You wanna give him a gift, give him a gift. You wanna give him a good gift, figure out what a good gift is and give it to him. Stop making it more complicated than it has to be, man.”

Daehwi blinks. “That was actually helpful, Hyeongseob. Thank you.”

Hyeongseob grins at him, “Glad to help. Now can you pick me up? I’m tired and I don’t feel like moving.”

Euiwoong shuffles forward before Daehwi has a chance to respond, hoisting the older up and onto his back within seconds, “Stop complaining. We’re here to help him, not criticize him then ask for help.” Daehwi tries to insist that it’s fine, but Euiwoong isn’t having any of it, “No, no. We’re helping you, end of story. So let’s start.”

 

\--------

 

“The key,” Daehwi repeats to himself slowly, “is to figure out what type of gift you want to give.” He remembers Euiwoong telling him the different types of categories gifts could fit into: tangible and intangible. Tangible gifts could either be sentimental, thoughtful, or practical, or a combination of them. Intangible gifts were basically anything else - arranging a trip to somewhere, singing them a song, or spending time with them.

They all decided he should probably talk with Dongho to determine what gift he was giving the youngest, so they wouldn’t accidentally give the same gift or anything close to it.

He had been searching for the older for several minutes now, but was still at a complete loss. He already asked several professors and other students if they knew about Dongho’s whereabouts, but so far he’s been out of luck.

He hits the jackpot when he taps a quiet student on the shoulder, and their eyes light up a bit when they make eye contact.

“You’re looking for Dongho, right? He’s heading to the quidditch field to practice if you want to try and talk to him really quickly. You should probably hurry, though.”

Daehwi gasps, barely managing to thank the other before running off towards the quidditch field. If he couldn’t find the other before he started practicing, he’d have to wait at least a couple of hours until the older was done, which then meant he was exhausted and on the verge of sleep until it’s a somewhat acceptable time to sleep.

It’s only when he’s a few meters away from the field does Daehwi wonder how and why the student knew he was looking for Dongho. He’s not given much time to dwell on it, though - he sees Dongho walking through another hallway, heading towards the locker rooms to get changed into his practice clothes.

“Dongho! Wait up!” Daehwi shouts, barely managing to catch the older’s attention.

“Hey, Daehwi. I didn’t see you there.” He smiles, then scrunches his face up in thought, “What  _ are _ you doing here? I thought you only came here during official games.”

“First of all, I already told you I would start coming to you and Guanlin’s practices, and second, I wanted to talk to you.”

Dongho frowns at the intent expression on the Hufflepuff’s face, “Um. Does Guanlin need to be here for this?”

Daehwi dismisses the notion immediately with a wave of his hand, “No, no - it’s about him.” This seems to only increase Dongho’s worry, so Daehwi’s quick to add on, “It’s about his birthday. You know it’s coming up, right?”

Dongho nods, obviously relieved that Daehwi hadn’t been coming to him for a topic with a lot more gravity to it, “Yeah, thank goodness Minhyun knows one of his friends. Otherwise I doubt we would have found out until a few weeks later.”

“Honestly!” Daehwi whines, “I wish he told us himself - I wanna know these things!”

“Me too,” Dongho agrees quietly, “but I understand that he might feel a bit uncomfortable telling us. You know him, Daehwi. He’d feel guilty if he told us and we gave him things he couldn’t give something of a similar value back.”

“But he’s not  _ supposed _ to! That’s the point of a gift!”

Dongho sighs, scratching at his chin, “I know, but that’s something that Guanlin still needs to deal with himself. There’s only so much we can do for things like this but support him.”

“I guess,” Daehwi sighs, “but it still sucks. I just want to do nice things for him, you know? And it’s hard to do that when he feels like he’s supposed to give back whatever he receives.” He heaves another sigh, longer than the one he had just released. “But yeah, there’s not much we can do about it.”

“Let’s just focus on choosing some good gifts for him, okay?” Dongho suggest gently, and Daehwi latches onto the topic change immediately.

“Yeah, let’s. What kind of gift were you thinking of?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. I was going to ask you for suggestions.” Dongho admits sheepishly, and Daehwi laughs lightheartedly in response.

“No worries, I got us covered. I talked to Euiwoong, Hyeongseob, and Hwanwoong earlier, and they were able to help me some. Wanna hear what they said?”

“By all means, go ahead.” Dongho grins at him, waving his hand forward as though encouraging him to talk as much as he wanted to, “I’m all ears.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [~~the poll for ch 3~~](https://goo.gl/forms/SSIHMXUFOHVmUZ6d2) ~~!!~~ this poll is now closed ! if you would like to vote on what things you would like to happen, please participate in the most recent poll !  
> it's fine if u have/havent taken any previous polls just fyi, but please complete at least one if u want to help determine some of the things thatll happen later on !!!  
> whooooo p short chapter but ch 4 should be up within a few days so dw !! subscribe if u want to get a notification for each chapter :DDD (prepare for some angst nd hurt/comfort !!)  
> thank u again for reading nd for everyone that's given kudos, comments, nd subscriptions !!!! u all make my day :_)


	4. self-inflicted inferiority never helps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday planning is put on hold when parts of Guanlin's past start to show up. Unfortunately for Daehwi and Dongho, it's nearly impossible for the youngest to escape it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just giving u all a heads up: there's some swearing nd bullying/harassment so if u don't like reading that kind of stuff i'd suggest skipping this chapter nd waiting for the next one !! if you want to get updates, remember to subscribe :DD  
> and if you can, i'd really appreciate it if u give kudos, comments, nd complete the poll for this chapter ! (link in the end notes) u don't have to read this ch to complete the poll (at least for this specific chapter), but that prob won't be the case for other chapters nd their polls  
> nyways i hope u enjoy this !! a huge thank u to everyone who's commented, subscribed to, given kudos to, nd taken the polls for everything !!!! ily <33

It doesn’t take them nearly as Daehwi thought it would, so Dongho ends up having plenty of time to practice before it gets too dark out. He sits on the bleachers and watches the oldest fly around on his broom, speeding through the air without a single hesitation. He’s beautiful on land, but in the sky, he’s  _ mesmerizing _ , containing the kind of image that would have poets and artists reaching for a quill in an instant.

He’s so enraptured by the other’s movements that he doesn’t notice someone sitting next to him until they bump his shoulder with their own.

The shriek he lets out startles Dongho from where he’s resting several hundred meters away, and Daehwi shouts an apology after he catches his breath.

At the very least, Guanlin looks a bit sheepish at having caused ten years to be taken off of Daehwi’s life, even though it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t intentional, nor was it his fault.

Daehwi speaks up before Guanlin can apologize, and gestures for him to scoot closer, “What’re you doing here?”

“I heard Dongho was practicing and I wanted to watch. I didn’t realize you would be here, though.” He seems to come to some sort of realization and scoots away from Daehwi, even if it’s just the slightest bit. “I can go if you want to be alone.” Guanlin stands up quickly, shooting Daehwi a small smile even as the corners of his lips waver a little as he does so.

“Guanlin, no-” Daehwi tries to reach out for the younger, but he’s already sprinting away from him and back inside, murmuring a word that Daehwi can’t understand.

Daehwi knows he wouldn’t stand a chance at catching up to him, but it doesn’t mean he won’t try. He leaves a note for Dongho just in case, explaining the situation with the fewest words as possible, then does his best to follow where he had seen Guanlin go.

He spends almost half an hour searching for the younger, but somehow he’s managed to hide his large, lanky body from sight no matter where Daehwi goes. Daehwi sighs in frustration; it seems like no matter what he does, Guanlin’s personality and actions prevent anyone from helping him.

He ends up giving up when dinner rolls around, and heads to the Great Hall with the hope that he’d find the younger sitting in his usual seat, playing with his food like he usually did when he waited for Dongho and Daehwi to show up.

He’s not there, though, and Daehwi can’t help the worry that bubbles up in his chest. He knows the younger is more than capable of taking care of himself, but he’s also way too forgiving and believes the best of people, even when everything suggests otherwise. Daehwi latches onto Dongho the second he enters the room, and judging by the tension coursing through the older’s body, he feels the same as Daehwi.

“No sign of him?” Dongho asks shortly, and Daehwi would probably feel a little hurt from the brusqueness of his tone if he didn’t feel the same way.

“None.” Daehwi sighs, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “Where could he be?”

Dongho frowns and rubs his chin, eyes lighting up after a second, “I have an idea.”

 

\--------

 

They leave after grabbing a few bread rolls, Dongho snickering about “shoving breadsticks into my purse” before he sours immediately, a sure sign that it was some muggle joke that reminded the older of Guanlin.

Dongho explains his idea to Daehwi after they manage to sneak out of the castle, leaving a note for Jinyoung to find just in case they didn’t come back before class started the next day. “You know how he’s muggle-born, right? Apparently,” he huffs out as they walk briskly through dimly-lit streets, “this is an area that reminds him of where he’s from.”   
Daehwi frowns, “Where exactly is he from? I know he came from Mahoutokoro, but apparently he was considered a foreigner there, too. He never told me, so I have no idea.”

“I’m not sure either.” Dongho sighs, “But if we’re going to find him anywhere nearby, it’d be here.”

They walk through the streets as quickly as they can, checking back and forth for any signs of the youngest. They decide after a bit to split up, and Daehwi can’t stop his heart from trying to beat out of his chest even if he wanted to.

The town’s quiet, most people presumably in their houses or eating inside a restaurant, so Daehwi follows faint voices the moment he hears them. At the very least, he could ask them if they’d seen Guanlin around, or any sort of clue for where he could find the younger.

What he doesn’t expect to see is him pinned up against a wall, a small group of people the same age as them surrounding him like a pack of wolves. It reminds him of Jinyoung, and he’s moving forward before he can help himself, only stopping when Guanlin notices him and shoots a warning look in his direction.

_ Wait _ . Guanlin mouths slightly, and it takes every bit of self control for Daehwi to stay put, merely watching the events unfold in front of him.

They’re all speaking in a language Daehwi can’t understand, and he leans forward to try and hear better. Hearing them speak various sentences allows Daehwi to pinpoint the language - Japanese- and try to translate the few words he knows. Unfortunately, his vocabulary is limited to basic conversations and a few swear words (thanks to the one time he accidentally stumbled into a club when he had spent a vacation in Tokyo), but he’s still able to piece together what’s happening.

“ _ No hello? _ ” One of the boys taunts, cruel sneer twisting what would normally be handsome features, “ _ Little bitch. _ ”

The bravery in Guanlin’s eyes wavers, and Daehwi knows it’s only a matter of time before the younger falls apart. He’s a Slytherin for a reason, after all - Guanlin’s passion and ambition has helped him to surpass most of the challenges he’s faced so far, but Daehwi can’t see a speck of it in the boy who stands before him.

The crowd of foreigners throw taunts at Guanlin, only a few of which Daehwi can decipher (and severely wishes that he couldn’t. He hopes that he was wrong - that they didn’t mean the things they say - but he knows there’s no denying that the people in front of him despise Guanlin from the bottom of their hearts.

“ _ Come on, cry _ .” They laugh, and Daehwi’s gut twists as he watches. “ _ Weak.” _

It’s when they throw the first few punches does Daehwi finally lose it. He sends Guanlin a mental apology, and then one to his parents, and murmurs “Stupefy” with a low growl, aiming his wand at the group.

Guanlin casts up a shield just barely in time, protecting the bullies from something they didn’t even know was happening.

They hiss at him in return, shoving him against the wall again, harder than before.

_ Ungrateful brats _ , Daehwi thinks to himself. He freezes when they spot Guanlin’s wand, still out from when he had just used it.

“ _ What’s this? _ ” A girl giggles, wrenching it from Guanlin’s hands no matter how desperately he tries to keep ahold of it. “ _ A stick? _ ”

Guanlin’s eyes are wide, and he reaches forward desperately, begging as he does so, “ _ Please, don’t do anything to it. I’ll do anything, just don’t _ -”

“ _ Oh, so you’re the boss now? Know your place. _ ” Another girl shoves Guanlin back again, smirking at the groan he lets out when his head hits the brick wall, just too hard to not leave some sort of mark.

Daehwi steps forward again, but then one of the boys steps forward and grabs his wand within seconds, cackling at the surprised expression on his face.

He uses it to poke at Guanlin’s cheek, leaning down so they’re eye to eye, “ _ You’ve got friends now? _ ” He turns to Daehwi after it’s clear that Guanlin isn’t going to speak anytime soon, eyebrows raised in interest, “ _ You guys friends or strangers? _ ”

Daehwi blinks, trying to translate the words and failing miserably. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

The boy’s brows furrow together, eyes piercing as he stares him down, “ _ Foreigner? _ ”

_ Aren’t _ you _ the foreigner here? _ Daehwi thinks to himself, but keeps his mouth shut. He doesn’t have his wand back yet, and he can’t do anything to risk something happening to it.

“He’s asking if we’re friends.” Guanlin whispers softly, voice hoarse and rough especially in the otherwise silent night.

Before Daehwi gets a chance to respond, he’s interrupted by one of the bullies’ harsh laughter. It’s the farthest from a beautiful sound Daehwi has heard - it’s cold and cruel, cutting through the air like a poison dart.

“ _ You trying to speak another language? God, you sound so  _ pathetic _. You can’t even speak normally, what makes you think you can start talking with foreigners? You sound so stupid when you talk, oh my god. Did you hear his accent? _ ” They all jeer at Guanlin, who shrinks down where he stands. He looks so  _ small _ . Daehwi wants to do something, but his mind’s blank and his hands are shaking and what does he  _ do _ -

“Accio Daehwi and Guanlin’s wands.” A voice shoots out from nearby, and the wands are yanked from their captor’s grasps and towards the voice. They all turn to the figure, who emerges from the shadows with a deadly glare set at the group of bullies.

“Dongho.” Guanlin murmurs, and Daehwi’s heart finally starts beating normally again.

“ _ Step away from him _ .” Dongho hisses, tongue shaping around the foreign characters naturally, not a speck of uncertainty as he advances on the group.

A few of the boys act with fake bravado, swaggering forward even as their knees threaten to buckle at even the slightest touch. “ _ What’re you gonna do about it _ ?”

Dongho snarls at him, shoving him with a force that Daehwi had always known he was capable of, but had never witnessed him using. “ _ If you don’t, I’m going to kill you. _ ”

“Dongho!” Guanlin warns, but Dongho waves him off.

“It’s their choice.” His voice is noticeably softer when he speaks to the younger, and his entire expression visibly hardens when he turns his attention back to the group of kids. “ _ What do you say _ ?” His mouth twists into a terrifying smile, teeth shining and sharp in the dark.

They scream and run away, and Daehwi immediately runs to Guanlin, carefully leading him into a sitting position. He and Dongho exchange looks, but neither of them are able to speak.

Guanlin isn’t either, but he tries anyways, “I’m sorry.” He croaks out. “This was my fault.”

“No.” Daehwi insists, voice firm. He leaves no room for argument and directs his steady gaze onto the youngest. “We should have been there for you.”

“ _ I deserved it _ .” Guanlin murmurs, something Daehwi can’t understand but is able to figure out pretty easily that it’s a self-deprecating comment.

“No you didn’t.” Dongho says, and Guanlin blinks in surprise, having already forgotten that Dongho could understand him. “People are cruel, Guanlin. Cruel to those who don’t deserve it. You did nothing wrong, okay?”

Guanlin doesn’t look like he really believes him, but he doesn’t argue, so Daehwi counts it as a win.

“C’mon,” Dongho sighs, reaching out a hand to help Guanlin up, “let’s head back.”

 

\--------

 

They manage to arrive without any unwanted attention, slipping in past the guards and sleepwalking professors. They decide to go to the Hufflepuff common rooms after running into Jonghyun in a hallway.

“Follow me.” He murmurs, leading the three into his room. “You both can sleep. I’ll watch over him until it’s time for you to wake up, okay?”

Daehwi’s about to protest, various complaints rising up in his throat - why isn’t Guanlin sleeping? Why can’t we stay up and watch him? - but it all fades away as he watches Jonghyun place a blanket around the Slytherin’s shoulders, rubbing gentle circles into the younger’s back to help calm him.

The look in his eyes - the look of tension and fear - is still as prominent as it had been when he was surrounded by the group of foreigners, and Daehwi realizes that it’d probably take several strong spells to make the youngest close his eyes for even a fraction of a second.

“Sleep.” Jonghyun repeats, voice firm yet kind. “Trust me, okay? And you won’t be doing  _ anyone _ anything good by neglecting your own health.” He stares at both Daehwi and Dongho until they relent, the latter still grumbling slightly as he gets under the covers.

It makes Guanlin laugh softly though, so Daehwi can’t help but feel a little more relaxed as he slips into the spot next to Dongho, wrapping his arms around the older and letting him do the same.

Even as he hears Jonghyun’s voice gently talking to Guanlin, it’s only a few moments before sleep overtakes him and he falls fast asleep.

 

\--------

 

Daehwi wakes up to the feeling of warm breath tickling the back of his neck. He blinks his eyes blearily, turning and smiling when he’s met with Guanlin’s sleeping face, peaceful and lax as he dreams.

“Morning.” Dongho whispers from the other bed, book resting in his lap and reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

“Morning.” Daehwi murmurs back, hand absentmindedly stroking through Guanlin’s hair, reveling in how nearly everything about the boy is soft and gentle.

They’re silent for several minutes, both of them deep in thought as sounds filter through the room.

“I’m sorry.” Daehwi murmurs, pulling his hand back and away from Guanlin, folding them in his lap instead. “I should’ve done something earlier.”

Dongho sighs, closing his book - Daehwi doubted he had ever been reading it, and is more surprised that he hadn’t put it away earlier - sitting down on a spot on the bed, “Don’t blame yourself. The only people that were at fault were those kids. You did what you could, and I’m glad you were able to get there before I did.”

“I know, but I should have done something.” Daehwi says. It’s impossible to tear his eyes away from the ground, unable to look Dongho in the eye as he speaks, “I just stood there. What kind of person does that make me?”

“You didn’t stand there because you  _ wanted _ to, Daehwi. If you could have we both know you would have done something. But you were scared, and you were trying to do what Guanlin wanted you to do. It was a tricky situation, and I doubt that I’d have handled it any better than you did.”

“You would have.” Daehwi insists quietly, “You’re smarter, and stronger, and more skilled. You would’ve figured something out.”

Dongho groans quietly, lifting Daehwi’s head to face him with a gentle hand at the bottom of his chin, “Stop that. You’re incredibly smart, and incredibly strong, and incredibly skilled. Don’t say that I’m better than you. You’re just as talented as me, if not more so. Stop letting your own self worth be determined by your skewed judgement - because you judge everyone  _ much _ more lightly than you judge yourself.”

Tears form at the edge of Daehwi’s vision, and he nearly melts when Dongho’s expression softens even more and he uses both of his hands to cup Daehwi’s face.

“You’re wonderful, and that’s why I like you. It’s why  _ both _ of us like you. So don’t sell yourself short.”

Daehwi nods, pulling Dongho closer to hug him and muffle his sniffles, “Thank you.”

“No, thank you. You’re one of the greatest people in my life, Daehwi, and don’t you forget it.” Dongho ruffles Daehwi’s hair, smiling when Daehwi leans into the touch. “Now let’s come up with an excuse for skipping class.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~[the poll for this chapter](https://goo.gl/forms/JH2KnKezOXzaQtcC2) !!~~  
>  next chapter will be a bit of a longer wait than from 3 to 4 (to be fair, this was a shorter chapter than usual) but !! i hope u enjoyed this chapter nonetheless !!! (sorry for the angst)


	5. regroup, recoup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daehwi and Dongho meet up with Guanlin's closest friend to get some answers, but mainly to try and understand What The Heck is going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayo guess who's back w another chapter whooooooooooo (also changed my user bc guanlin spells his name w a k, at least according to his signature - which wha - but since the ao3 tag uses g thats how i'll continue to write his name in the fic)  
> (also phi's posting another ch of her [ongniel prequel](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11805138) to the dongho/guanlin texting fic somewhat soon so if u like good writing and/or texting fics check it out !!!)  
> and a huuuuge thank u to everyone who participated in the ch 4 poll !! i appreciate the time yall put in to take it so so so so much ily <333 (and @ the 2 people who wanted more angst....... sorry pals u were outvoted :|| hope u can bear the fluff for this ch lolol). nd a new chara is revealed !! p basic nd not too important but just wait a lil while longer to see some just how important they r ;))))  
> and a surprise @ the end notes of this chapter for anyone who wants a bit more light on some of the other characters, esp the muggle-born/half-blood wizards at hogwarts !!  
> warning for a few curse words in this ch, mainly @ the beginning !

Guanlin wakes up about an hour before their third class of the day starts, Dongho and Daehwi having agreed to skip classes so they could be there for the youngest when he woke up.

“Morning sleepyhead. How’re you feeling?” Dongho asks gently, smiling softly at the small smile the Slytherin gives in response.   
Guanlin’s always been one of those people who are completely unhibited in the mornings - his brain still sleepy and unable to stop him from saying or doing anything instinctual.

“ _ Shitty _ .” Guanlin mumbles in Japanese through a yawn, then switching languages after he blinks slowly a few times, “But could be worse.”

Daehwi sighs, taking a seat beside the younger and wrapping his arms around him, “Do you wanna talk about what happened yesterday?” No matter how much Guanlin was willing to - and did - explain to Jonghyun, Daehwi much rather preferred being told himself.

Guanlin shrugs, half-lidded eyes refusing to look away from his hands.

"Guanlin," Dongho starts, but sighs and stops himself from pushing the subject. Neither he nor Daehwi feel like antagonizing the youngest, especially when they have no idea when they might unknowingly overstep a boundary. It means that they're walking on eggshells, but they'd rather be overly cautious than accidentally hurt their boyfriend.

"I don't really feel like explaining. And I doubt I'd be able to well, anyways." Guanlin frowns, "Because of languages." He pauses, then shifts his position on the bed. "I want you guys to know, though. I don't like secrets."  _ I don't like keeping secrets from you _ is left unsaid, but the message is clear.

"Then what should we do? Does anyone else know?" Daehwi asks quietly. "Anyone we could talk to?"

Guanlin nods quickly, meeting their eyes for the first time that morning, "Yes, my friend! They transferred with me from Mahoutokoro. Dongho's met them already," Guanlin gives the oldest a small smile, "but you haven't yet. They can be a bit eccentric, but they mean well, so please be lenient with them."

Daehwi gives the youngest a reassuring smile, "Don't worry." Part of him wants to track down Guanlin's friend immediately, learning everything there is and was to know about his boyfriend, but another wants to stay by Guanlin's side forever, never leaving even in search of knowledge. "Also, lenient? Nice vocabulary, Guanlin."

The Slytherin gives a shy smile, giggling at the compliment. "Thank you. You guys should talk to them soon, though. You don't need to stay with me."

Dongho's brows furrow together, a clear sign that he's uncomfortable with the suggestion, "Are you sure? We can always talk to them later."

"The sooner the better. And we should be going to class, anyways."

Daehwi groans immediately, "Okay, let's  _ not _ talk about classes. Cuddle time?"

Guanlin shoves his shoulder playfully, smile spreading across his face in response.

"Stop influencing Guanlin with your bad habits." Dongho laughs, but he sits on the other side of Guanlin, throwing his arm around the youngest's shoulders, hand just reaching Daehwi. "Though I wouldn't object to cuddling."

"You guys are unbelievable." Guanlin smiles, but he flops down onto the bed, causing the other two boys to do the same. "But I guess skipping a day's worth of classes wouldn't be the end of the world."

 

\--------

 

Jonghyun wakes them up a little before two o'clock, Jisung helping to get them all out of bed (without any casualties).

Dongho grumbles as he gets up, but is silenced with a sharp glance from Jonghyun that reminds Daehwi, yet again, of how much  _ power _ the older has over everyone.

"It's almost two. Unless you don't want to be able to sleep tonight," Jisung says as he sits Guanlin up, "you should probably get up. You don't have to go to the rest of your classes, but you should still get up."

Guanlin mumbles some words they all assume to be assent, and gives Jisung a hug as he's led to a standing position. He turns to his boyfriends sluggishly, brushing his fringe back carelessly with his hand as he speaks, "You should talk to my friend now. They have a free period right now, and they're probably in the kitchens."

Daehwi raises a brow in curiosity, "The kitchens? I thought students weren't allowed there."

Guanlin shrugs, smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "My friend's pretty close with the elves. They bond over food and whatnot, so if you say you're looking for them you'll be allowed in."

Daehwi whistles in amazement and revels at the light in Guanlin's eyes as he talks about his friend.

Dongho still seems a bit reluctant to leave, but Jonghyun urges them to go with a gentle nod and comforting words. "Go, Jisung and I will stay with Guanlin. Whatever it is that you're concerned about, it's fine."

Dongho nods shortly, but the gratitude in his eyes carries more weight than any words or phrases could. "Thank you." He turns to Daehwi, who nods and smiles at the other three in the room before heading to the door.

"We'll be back as soon as we can. See you later!" The two wave as the exit the room, hearts melting at the gummy smile Guanlin gives them in return as he shouts "I'll wait for you!"

"To the kitchens?" Dongho asks, extending his arm out to Daehwi with a shy grin.   
"To the kitchens." Daehwi agrees, linking his arm with the elder and trying to hide just how much he enjoys the contact. "Let's not keep our boy waiting any longer than he has to."

 

\--------

 

It takes them no time at all to get to the kitchens, and even less to get inside once they mention they're looking for Guanlin's friend. The elves welcome them with open arms, gushing about how their "favorite student" has so many handsome friends that are always visiting them.

They're led to a table where all they can see is a pile of breadsticks and narrow shoulders covered by a robe.

"There are people to see you about Guanlin!" One of the elves that had guided them says excitedly, bounding up to the student and picking up one of the breadsticks to inspect. "Ooh, it looks delicious!"

"Then try some!" The student laughs, pushing the pile towards the elf. The elf seems to need no further encouragement, and begins to devour breadsticks one by one without stopping to breathe. They turn around, and Daehwi is struck with the realization that he's seen them before, though he can't quite place where from.

"Hey, Seonho." Dongho greets, and a wave of memories fill Daehwi's mind. Countless people greeting Seonho, asking the student a question or two, but always just too far away for it to receive Daehwi's main attention.

"Oh, hey Dongho! And hey, Daehwi! We've never met, right? I've heard lots about you from Lin, though." The student says, voice chipper and bright even when muffled by the food in their mouth, "Nice to meet you!"

"Um, nice to meet you too." Daehwi shifts his weight between his feet as he glances between Dongho and Seonho. As much as he'd like to get to know Guanlin's friend better, he desperately wants to understand everything that had happened the previous day.

Dongho seems to understand his predicament, and speaks up before Daehwi can feel any more nervous than he already is, "Guanlin told us to come to you-"

"Ah, starting to dig into each other's past, huh? You've come to the right person." Seonho stretches sluggishly, shooting them a lazy smile, "Sit down and I'll start."

Daehwi and Dongho exchange a look, but take a seat across from Guanlin's friend a few seconds later.

"Alright. Now where should I begin?" Seonho says, and only now that they've swallowed what they had been chewing is Daehwi able to pick up the slightest accent in their words. He barely catches it, and it's only just noticeable for certain words and phrases.

"As early as you can." Dongho requests, and Seonho aims finger guns at him with a nod.

"Righty-oh, Dongho. Ha, that rhymed." The student only takes a second to giggle to themselves, then clears their throat and resumes talking, "Anyways, Guanlin and I've known each other for a while, but I only met him a 'lil while after the stuff," they gesture their hand in the air as they speak, "started happening. But I'll start from when we first met just to keep things a little easier to explain.

"Guanlin and I met my first year at Mahoutokoro; we sat next to each other on the train ride to the school, and bonded over the fact that both of us are, at least somewhat, foreigners. He's 100% non-Japanese, and I'm half, so," Seonho shrugs, taking another bite of a breadstick before continuing, "we figured it'd be nice to have a friend that wouldn't ostracize us for not being in the majority of the school. Thankfully, the school wasn't too bad about all of that, or at least not like Hogwarts was before we came here." Daehwi and Dongho nod along to the story - Hogwarts certainly hadn't been a welcoming place before Jonghyun had done something about it.

"We stayed close though, since both of us used to play basketball - a muggle sport - when we were younger, so we'd play each other sometimes when we had the time." They swallow their food and take another enormous bite that has Daehwi ready to perform the Heimlich at the first sign of choking.

"Anyways, we'd usually visit my place during the holidays - Guanlin's family lived overseas, after all - but they’d do video calls and stuff to make up for it. During the break between years - when y’all kicked out like half of your school and requested for students from other schools to transfer over - we visited his family. They’re all great, but we ended up running into some kids in the neighborhood that weren’t exactly the nicest. Apparently they had known each other for a while, and their relationship had never been…  _ Good _ , to say the least. They hated him, to say the least.”

Daehwi’s brows furrow at the thought. The idea that  _ anyone _ could dislike Guanlin, let alone  _ hate _ him.

"We didn't have too many interactions with them, but it was pretty clear that they had a long history of… Unpleasantries." Seonho sighs, scratching at their hair with a frown. "Guanlin only told me so much, but basically he's got a bunch of pent up angst and a  _ seriously _ bad self-image that he tries to insist isn't a big deal, which it is." Seonho's gaze turns piercing, staring straight at Daehwi and Dongho with narrowed eyes. "You agree, right?"

The two nod immediately - Seonho seemed to only have their best friend's interests at heart, and accidentally angering them, especially for something they're on the same page for, was far from a good idea.

Seonho smiles immediately after, clearly satisfied with their response, "Good. Anyways, he only really gets away with acting like a functioning person because he ignores all of his insecurities. Which is a horrible idea, and only makes his reactions to things more extreme."

Daehwi nods in understanding. While he's sure that Jinyoung and Guanlin's experiences are far from similar, his best friend behaves similarly - if he tries to lock up and ignore his reactions to things, it usually blows up in his face not too long after.

"So he's usually not too bad with things, but when it comes to him thinking that he's being annoying or wasting someone's time, it usually doesn't end too great. I'm assuming that's why you guys are here, right? Something happened, Guanlin got hurt, and now you guys are trying to figure out what caused it?"

"In general, yeah. I don't suppose you could give us any advice or anything like that?" Dongho says, and Daehwi nods in agreement. While he and Jinyoung have figured out their own system to help the older with any troubling situations, it'd undoubtedly be different for Guanlin.

Seonho only sighs, and they give Daehwi and Dongho an apologetic look, "If I'm being honest, I don't really think I have the right to give any advice. Sure, I've known Guanlin for a while, but he's never really opened up to me completely. I can only help him so much, and I don't think I'd be able to give you any advice that would actually be worth anything."

Daehwi nods understandingly. He's grateful for what Seonho  _ has _ given them, as much as the youngest seems to think otherwise. "Thanks anyways, Seonho."

"No problem!" Seonho beams, and offers both of them a breadstick, "To eat on your way back."

"Seonho, it's a two minute walk back." Dongho responds, brow raised at pure confusion.

"Suit yourself." The youngest takes a bite out of one of the breadsticks, then turns to Daehwi with the other, "You want it?"

"Um, no thank you." Daehwi says, and does his best to not look at the breadstick any more lest he change his mind.

"You two are weird." Seonho shakes their head at the two of them frowning, though a smile is clearly seen tugging at the edges of their lips. "Kids these days."

"I'm literally-" Dongho starts, but Seonho cuts him off with a tutting noise.

"Hush. Anyways, as a 'lil tldr before you go: Guanlin has a lot of self-esteem issues from some dickheads from his hometown, and while I've known him for a while I don't have like, a list of suggestions if anything happens." Seonho pauses, eyes widening as they realize something, then narrowing for the second time that day before they speak again, "You guys  _ do _ know that you can't 'fix' him, right? Because there's nothing to fix. And just because y'all are dating doesn't mean that he  _ needs _ you to function properly."

Daehwi sighs. It's as obvious as day that Seonho's just trying to look out for their friend, but he would've figured that they'd have at least a  _ little _ more faith in him and Dongho. "We know. We wanted to know the background so we wouldn't accidentally hurt him, and we're doing this because we want to be the best friends - and boyfriends that he could have."

Daehwi's a bit worried that he may have come across too strong, but Seonho gives him a toothy grin as they open up their arms. "Aw, what a pal. Come 'ere and gimme a hug."

The Hufflepuff moves forward slowly, mind not quite processing his actions until Seonho closes their arms around him, squeezing him so tightly Daehwi can't breathe.

"Seonho, let the poor kid go." Dongho laughs, and tugs Daehwi towards him until he's pressed against the older's chest. "We'll get going now."

Daehwi tries to calm down his thumping heart - even though they've been dating for a decent amount of time, there are still plenty of times when the Gryffindor does something that makes Daehwi feel like they've only just started dating. "Thanks again for your help, Seonho."

"No problem!" The youngest beams, and waves at them happily as they chew, "See you later!"

Daehwi and Dongho smile back as they leave, in good spirits despite the negative connotations of what had brought them there.

"That went pretty well." Daehwi says after a few moments of silence.

Dongho hums in agreement, lacing his and Daehwi's fingers together with a gentle smile. "Yeah, it did. I'm pretty surprised at how well it went, actually. You and Seonho got along well, which I'm sure Guanlin would be happy about."

Daehwi grins at the sheepish look his boyfriend gives him, and squeezes the other's hand in response. "I'm just glad he didn't hate me."

"They," Dongho corrects, although not unkindly, "not he."

The Hufflepuff blinks in surprise but nods after his brain finally catches up to him, "Oh, shoot, sorry. Sorry Seonho!" Daehwi whisper-shouts down the hall, and heaves a sigh of relief when Dongho giggles in response. "They/them, huh?"

"They/them." Dongho agrees. "Now let's see how Guanlin's doing."

 

\--------

 

Guanlin's reading one of his Potions textbooks, various diagrams and translated vocabulary terms and phrases neatly filling the notebook sitting on his lap. "Oh! Welcome back!" His smile is bright as he greets them, eyes crinkling up in happiness.

"Hey, Guanlin." Dongho ruffles the youngest's hair, the three of them stuck smiling at each other as a natural response.

"Hey Jisung and Jonghyun!" Jisung says in a high pitched voice from where he sits beside Jonghyun on the younger's bed, "How are you guys doing?"

"Fine, thank you." Jonghyun responds, and the two burst in giggles at the apologetic looks on Daehwi and Dongho's faces.

"Hey, don't take us so seriously. I hope everything went well?" Jisung says, and sets down what looks like a muggle 'phone' onto Jonghyun's lap.

"Yeah, it did." Daehwi replies as he takes a seat beside Guanlin. "Your friend seems nice, by the way. A bit… Food loving?"

Guanlin laughs loudly, hands coming up to lightly hit Daehwi's shoulders as he does so, "That's Seonho for you. If they're there, food's there."

"I don't doubt it." Dongho grins, though he clearly sobers a bit when he sees the indentations in the younger's thighs, a clear sign of some anxiety that had surfaced when no one was around. "How've you been holding up?"

Guanlin only shrugs in response, taking special care to avoid any eye contact with either of them. After he hasn't said anything for several more seconds, Jonghyun speaks in his place.

"Doing better than yesterday, but he could - obviously - be doing a lot better."

Guanlin looks guilty at the statement, but both of his boyfriends are quick to correct it with plenty of encouraging words and physical contact.

"Don't feel guilty about your emotions, okay? You can't control them, only what you do because of them. We're trying to help you because we care about you, not out of guilt or anything else. We just want to make sure that you're okay." Dongho says, words muffled from where his mouth is pressed against the top of Guanlin's head.

The youngest nods, and while it isn't the most ideal response, it's  _ something _ , and Daehwi would much rather have that than nothing at all.

"Thank you guys," Guanlin whispers, and his boyfriends each take one of his hands into their own, thumbs gently tracing patterns into his skin, "for everything."

"What else are boyfriends for? And sorry for interrupting your studying - do you want some help?" Dongho adjusts his position so he's sitting on the other side of the youngest instead of behind him, "I could lend you my Potions notes from a few years ago if you want."

"No thank you, I'd rather do it by myself. I appreciate the offer, though." The usual warmth the Slytherin exudes around his boyfriends starts to come back, and Daehwi heaves a long sigh in relief. "Are you okay, Daehwi?"

"Nothing bad," Daehwi dismisses his worries with a wave of his hand, "just relieved. Now get back to your studying while Dongho and I watch you."

Guanlin flushes a pretty red color, heat rising high on his cheeks and at the tips of his ears, "Daehwi!"

Daehwi giggles when both he and Dongho playfully hit his shoulder, and he laughs easily in the comfortable atmosphere. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But I doubt either of us," he says, gesturing between him and Dongho, "would mind having nothing to do but watch you. Regardless, you should still study. Don't you have an exam coming up soon?"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Guanlin groans, running a hand through his hair in a way that's probably supposed to be casual and meaningless, but has Daehwi's heart speeding up in his chest.

"Ah, you're too cute." Dongho mutters, and Daehwi sympathizes with him  _ so _ much.

"You too." Guanlin says as he pulls his notebook and textbook back onto his lap.

"What?" Dongho asks, and Daehwi stifles his laughter behind his robe's sleeves.

"What?" Guanlin uses a painfully obvious faked expression, though Dongho seems too confused to be able to notice it.

"What?"

"What?"

"Wha-"

"Okay!" Daehwi interrupts, "Please stop. Guanlin, study. Dongho, chill." He flops back down onto the bed, unable to stop himself from smiling at the sheepish looks on his boyfriends' faces.

"How am I supposed to study when you guys are here?" Guanlin whines, and Dongho can't help but tug on the youngest's cheeks a little in response.

"With a lot of self-control." Dongho snickers, and he joins Daehwi on the bed, lying with their backs flat against the sheets and hands intertwined.

"Oh, screw it, I can study later." Guanlin shoves his books to the side and wriggles his way in between the two of them. "Let's chill."

Dongho chokes on his own spit, and Daehwi and Guanlin turn to look at him, wearing matching confused expressions.

"Sorry, there's this muggle phrase that that reminded me of." Dongho explains, trying his best to look composed even though he's very obviously avoiding eye contact with both of them.

Guanlin narrows his eyes, lips pursed in thought until he straightens up with realization, "Was it 'netflix and chill'?"

Dongho chokes again, and Daehwi laughs even though he still has no idea what's going on.

"Dongho! Daehwi and I aren't even of legal age!" Guanlin laughs, mock scandalized expression twisting his features into a parody of disapproval.

"I know! That's why I was so surprised!"

"Wait, what?" Daehwi asks, and Dongho resolutely shakes his head.

"Nope, not doing this. I'm going to sleep."

"We took a nap literally two hours ago!"

"Can't hear you!" Dongho makes incredibly fake snoring sounds, covering his ears with his hands in a way that makes him seem much younger than he seems.

"Fine, fine." Daehwi acquiesces, but he makes sure to pout at the older even though he doesn't really mind not knowing. "I'll just ask Euiwoong later."

"Oh my god, please don't." Guanlin laughs, shaking his head vigorously as he does so, "He's so  _ young _ . So  _ innocent _ ."

"He's literally in the same year as you?" Daehwi deadpans, "And he's dating Justin, so."

Guanlin nods reluctantly, "Okay, you got me there. But, um. It's basically a way of saying, um." He turns to Dongho with furrowed brows, "I don't know how to say this."

Dongho winces, in sympathy or from his own pain, Daehwi has no idea, "Um, I can translate?"

Guanlin rolls his eyes but agrees, switching languages easily, " _ It's an invitation to sex _ ."

"It's… a sex invitation." Dongho grits out, blush rising up on his cheeks as he speaks, resolutely avoiding looking at Daehwi directly.

Daehwi chokes on his spit, and Dongho nods exaggeratedly.

"See? That's why I was so surprised when you said 'let's chill'." Dongho explains, and Daehwi, yet again, sympathizes with the oldest.

"Anyways!" Daehwi says, desperate to change the topic, "Anyone feeling hungry? Turns out Seonho stuck a bagel in my robe when I wasn't looking, so it's up for grabs if anyone wants it."

Guanlin cackles at the impressed yet incredibly concerned look on Dongho's face, "That's Seonho for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> crappy ending but oh well :||  
> nYWAYS [here's](https://goo.gl/forms/vv8gjAOXogHawwt42) the poll for ch 5 !! hope yall enjoyed this nd were able to make it thru the angst to the considerably much happier stuff at the end of the ch  
> nd as for the surprise !! yall can expect (thanks to the lovely phi who encouraged the hECK out of me) a texting series that'll take place during the entirety of this series, starting from when some of the younger members are in their first/second year. it'll mostly revolve around the muggle-born and half wizards, featuring 1-2 honorary members.  
> tldr; texting gc fic for the wizards at hogwarts w phones  
> expect the first ch soon !!!  
> thank u to everyone whos read, left kudos, completed any of the polls, subscribed, and commented :_))) every little notification makes me so happy so thank u all so much !! ily <333


	6. without you (i'm incomplete)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's freedom from all the weight the unrequited crush had been forcing onto Hwanwoong's shoulders, and Daehwi can't wait to see how far the older can soar without it.  
> (aka donglaihwi go on a celebratory date and run into a few familiar faces)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been,,,, such a long time coming (it's a long chapter bc i feel bad for taking so long to write this ch,)  
> sorry for making everyone wait :((( school and lack of motivation have both been kicking my butt, but ill try to be a bit more consistent for the remaining chapters !!
> 
> (sorry i didnt put nu'est in this chapter; i was working on the texting fic nd forgot abt them akbjfndsj - i'll try to post the first ch of that tomorrow !)
> 
> (also, a huge huge huge thank u to everyone who encouraged me and sent me kind messages; u know who r u r and i lov u <333)
> 
> now get ready for some fLUFF

"Okay," Daehwi fixes Dongho with his most serious expression, eyes narrowing in concentration, "We've only got a few minutes until Guanlin comes back, so let's talk."

Dongho blinks. "Um, about what?"

"His birthday!" Daehwi hisses, and Dongho's eyes light up in recognition, nodding enthusiastically, "Shoot, I totally forgot!"

"I almost did too, but Hwanwoong sent me an owl earlier saying he was going to meet up with the muggle dance crew he joined - I told you about that yesterday at dinner, remember? - because they wanted to buy him gifts." Daehwi chuckles, remembering how the older had been practically vibrating in his bed as he waited until an appropriate time to set off, quickly giving up and darting out of the castle to "take a walk".

"Ah, right. That's today? I thought their first practice was next week?"

Daehwi shrugs, "I guess they wanted to meet earlier to get to know each other beforehand."

"Makes sense," Dongho nods. He furrows his brows again, features scrunching together in a way that Daehwi would have found intimidating a few year ago, but can only look at fondly now. "But anyways. What were you planning on giving Guanlin?"   
Daehwi narrows his eyes at the older, "Nice try, but I'm not spilling."

"But what if we give him the same thing?" Dongho whines, and Daehwi appeases him with a gentle shushing noise.

"Not gonna happen, trust me." Daehwi runs a hand through his hair, and can't help but feel a little satisfied when Dongho looks starstruck when he looks at him. Honeymoon phase or not, Daehwi certainly is enjoying his relationship.

"If you say so," Dongho says once he's come back to his senses, and Daehwi laughs at the slightest tinge of pink dusting the Gryffindor's cheekbones. "Are we gonna throw a party?"

Daehwi frowns. "I… Hadn't thought about that."

Dongho mimics his expression, lips turning downwards as he scratches his chin in thought, "Should we? Does Guanlin like parties? Does he like parties  _ for _ him?"

Daehwi pauses, trying to rack his brain for the answers to their questions before the solution to their problem quite literally hits them like a pile of bricks.

"Ow." Dongho groans, and Seonho laughs as they peel themselves off of them.

"Sorry about that! I was experimenting with a spell!" They dust themselves off, and Daehwi would be a lot more concerned if he hadn't heard some of the professors singing praises about the youngest's magic skills when they thought all the students were gone.

"Right." Dongho nods slowly, and blinks. "Right."

"Hey, Seonho, we have a few more questions about Guanlin." Daehwi says after a beat of silence, and Seonho perks up at being addressed.

"Sure thing! What other juicy gossip do you want me to divulge?" They wriggle their eyebrows in haunting unison with Seongwoo several meters behind him - wait, is he  _ always _ doing that? - and leans closer until their nose is just touching Daehwi's.

They back off quickly, though, careful to not overstep (too many) boundaries, and Daehwi breathes a sigh of relief at being given his personal space back. Seonho laughs at the flustered expressions that both Daehwi and Dongho wear on their faces in response, both of them too confused to verbalize anything.

"But yeah? I'm assuming no more gossip, but what do you guys wanna know?" Seonho rests their head in their palm as they tilt their head to the side.

"Um, does he like parties?" Dongho asks.

Seonho blinks. "Okay, yeah, definitely not what I thought you were going to ask." Seonho shakes their head as they laugh. "But generally, not really. He likes small get-togethers, like little friend groups going to see movies, or visiting a park or something cutesy like that. Low-key stuff, not anything extreme or too attention-grabbing." They pause. "Is this for his birthday?"

Daehwi and Dongho chuckle at being found out.

"That obvious, huh?" Dongho rubs the back of his head sheepishly, adjusting his position in his seat.

Seonho shrugs. "I'd suggest keeping it really small - like, you guys, me, and no more than six other people. Even if he talks to them pretty frequently, he's not too close - like, emotionally - with a lot of people."

"What kind of birthday parties does he like?" Daehwi wonders aloud. The only birthday parties he's ever experienced were for and by full-blooded wizards, so there was magic involved for even the smallest of details. But considering how Guanlin didn't have a drop of magical blood in his body, he doubted that the younger had any similar experiences. It was just another one of those things that Daehwi still had yet to learn about him (and couldn't wait to find out).

"Anything where he's doing something - if you think he wants to show off - or just get rid of a  _ lot _ of energy - basketball courts are always a great option. It's also a good confidence-booster for him! If you want more sentimental, old couple-y kind of stuff, hiking or walking around nature or a beach or whatever is cool, too. But considering how this is supposed to be a birthday party…" Seonho pauses, deep in thought. "Basketball, bowling, or going to the beach."

"I… Don't know what the first two were. But thanks?" Daehwi says, and pouts when Dongho laughs. "Don't be mean to your boyfriend!"

"I'm not making fun of you, sorry. You're just really cute." Dongho beams at him, and Daehwi feels like he can see the sun in the older's blinding smile (and in every other part of him).

"Okay, ew," Seonho interrupts, "Stop. Basketball and bowling are both muggle sports - basketball's more of an American sport, and bowling… Honestly, I don't know what's up with bowling, but Guanlin likes it, so. If you wanna know what they look like or how to play them, just look it up." They pause, glancing between the two older boys suspiciously. " _ One _ of you knows how to use Google, right?"

Dongho puffs his chest out so quickly Daehwi's seriously concerned for his health, "I do! Aron showed me a few days ago!"

"A few days-  _ Jesus _ ." Seonho sighs. "Just- just look it up if you want to, you technology-depraved heathens. I'm gonna get some more food." Seonho is gone as quickly as they came, bounding over to a table of upperclassmen and nearly decapitating one of them when they make to stop them.

Daehwi gulps and vows to never come between Seonho and food.

They spot Guanlin speed walking back into the Great Hall, and they beam at him as he gets closer to their table.

"Sorry that took so long," Guanlin shoots his boyfriends an apologetic smile as he lowers himself into his seat, "The hallways were really crowded. Gosh, I'm starving."

"Don't worry about it!" Daehwi insists, and motions for the youngest to open his mouth wide, "Now say 'ahhh'."

Guanlin pretends to roll his eyes, though his exasperated image is ruined when he giggles as Daehwi feeds him some chicken. Dongho watches them fondly, smiling as he shoves a particularly large piece of bread into his mouth. He seems to come to some sort of realization when he's halfway done eating it though, and he nearly chokes trying to speak and swallow at the same time.

"Please, swallow first." Minhyun calls from a few tables down.

The three turn to face him incredulously, though the older completely ignores them. Daehwi is a bit concerned over how long the older had been watching and listening to them, but he's pretty sure that knowing it would only serve to make him more paranoid.

"Um. Anyways," Dongho clears his throat once he's finished chewing, "I have an announcement."   
Daehwi blinks. "What kind of announcement?"

The Gryffindor grins at him, mouth stretching wide as his eyes twinkle with joy, "Guess who officially got the Gryffindor captain position?"

Daehwi and Guanlin gasp simultaneously, the youngest quickly moving on to shrieking from excitement.

"Congratulations!" Daehwi launches himself at the oldest, who's wearing the most beautiful, confident smile he's ever worn. "I'm so proud of you!  _ We're _ so proud of you." Dongho turns pink at that, and Guanlin coos and joins the two of them, wrapping his long arms around them as far as he can.

"You know what this calls for?" Guanlin declares, pulling away from the hug with a determined look in his eyes. "A celebration!"

Dongho laughs, and he ruffles the Slytherin's hair fondly with such completely unfiltered happiness that Daehwi laughs along with him.

"What would you want to do, Dongho?" Guanlin's eyes are bright, and the pure affection and adoration he exudes makes Daehwi fall for the youngest a little more at the sight.

"As long as you guys are there, I don't care." Dongho insists, and Daehwi presses a sloppy kiss to his cheek in response. Dongho pretends to be unaffected by it, though it's pointless as he ends up laughing heartily a second later with a soft pink dusting his cheeks.

"Do either of you have any plans for the weekend?" Guanlin turns to them with a glint in his eyes that Daehwi finds  incredibly attractive a bit concerning.

"No?" They respond, and the youngest beams at them as the look in his eyes intensifies.

"Then I have an idea. Pack whatever you would need when you spend a lot of time outside."

Guanlin's gone before they can ask any questions, and the two are left dumbfounded before they give up trying to understand the youngest, and they turn back to their food. They'd find out soon enough, after all, and (hopefully) whatever he had planned wouldn't be too bad.

The rest of the day is uneventful, and Daehwi packs according to Guanlin's instructions, taking extra caution to bring an extra pair of socks and an umbrella, mentally preparing himself for whatever the Slytherin had in store for them. He falls asleep quickly, still smiling at the day's events and the promise of time with his boyfriends still to come.

 

\--------

 

Daehwi's sleep is interrupted by a pair of hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him gently awake.

"What?" He groans through his lips, and is met with a soft giggle in response.

"Up and at it, Daehwi." Guanlin helps to bring him to a sitting position, giving him a hug before quickly drawing away.

The Hufflepuff makes a little dissatisfied noise at the lack of contact, but gets up anyways. He makes to change into his robes, but is stopped by Guanlin handing him a pair of muggle clothes.

"Wear these instead." The younger has a pretty blush on his face that rivals the most beautiful of flowers, and Daehwi feels even more smitten with each second that he looks at him.

He nods and takes the clothes, laughing at the embarrassed look Guanlin gives him before turning away quickly as he begins to change.

"I'll wait in the common room." Guanlin whispers before darting out of the room, leaving Daehwi to wake up and finish changing in the privacy of his own room.

He changes as quickly as he can, examining himself in the mirror to see how the clothes fit him. Guanlin had somehow gotten his size right - which may have something to do with him catching Jinyoung rummaging through his clothes with a ruler the other day - and the style is simple yet chic; a simple checkered white button up with dark gray shorts. His legs look great,  _ he _ looks great, and Daehwi feels even greater when Guanlin's jaw visibly drops when he sees him.

"You look- you look really nice." The Slytherin stammers out, and Daehwi can't help but grin automatically in response.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Daehwi teases, giving the younger an exaggerated once-over before freezing. Guanlin's wearing a black checkered button up with black shorts, a not-quite complete opposite of Daehwi's own clothes, and he narrows his eyes once his brain manages to come up with an explanation. "Guanlin? Are we wearing coup-"

Dongho chooses that exact moment to show up, clad in a gray checkered shirt and white shorts, and Daehwi chokes.

"Sorry I took so long, Jonghyun wanted to make sure my sunscreen set in for the full thirty minutes before letting me leave my room," Dongho explains, running a hand through his messy hair. He makes a face before realizing that he didn't style his hair, and his eyes widen almost comically in shock.

"You look fine, don't worry," Daehwi assures, and Dongho relaxes at the statement. "But Guanlin."

Guanlin tries very hard to avoid his gaze, but his attempts do nothing to deter Daehwi from clarifying his discovery.

"Couple clothes?" Daehwi stares at the youngest, grin spreading from ear to ear at the nervous laugh he lets out in response.

"If- if you don't like it, we can stop by a store so you can get other clothes-" Guanlin starts, but Daehwi cuts him off with a pointed cough.

"Absolutely not. You two are my boyfriends, and we look cute as  _ hell _ together, especially since we match."

Dongho nods his agreement, and Guanlin seems embarrassed, if not pleased. "Right," the Slytherin says, then clears his throat to continue, "then we should probably get going. The lines can get pretty long, so the sooner we get there the better."

Dongho furrows his brows, "Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll find out soon enough!" Guanlin chirps, and he grabs the other two by their wrists, leading them out of the common room and out the castle.

 

\--------

 

"What.  _ Is _ this?" Daehwi is, in all honestly, awestruck. Despite having grown up in a household full of magic, he's never seen  _ anything _ like this.

Before him is a series of twists and turns that has his stomach churning, and Guanlin picks up on his alarm almost immediately, ushering him away from the machine and towards what looks like a boat instead.

"Since this is your first time at an amusement park, you should probably start with one of the smaller rides," Guanlin grins, and they step into line along with Dongho, who is happily eating a sugary candy that looks a bit like a cloud.

While it's generally crowded, Guanlin seems to find the 'amusement park' fairly empty, and Daehwi shudders at the thought of there being even more people lining up near each other in hotter weather.

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, and braces himself for whatever this 'ride' can throw at him. He's Lee Daehwi, fourteen year old Hufflepuff, he can  _ do _ this.

 

\--------

 

He's Lee Daehwi, fourteen year old Hufflepuff, and he feels like he just lost twenty years of his life.

Sure, the ride itself wasn't that bad, but he can already feel his voice going hoarse from the few minutes spent on it, and he's glad they're visiting at the beginning of the weekend rather than the last so his voice can recover before classes.

"'t was fun, wasn't it?" Guanlin's bouncing up and down beside him, giggling at the ecstatic expression on Dongho's face.

"Let's do that again! Can we do that again?" Dongho exclaims, looking so much like a puppy that Daehwi nearly coos at the sight.

"Daehwi, are you okay with going on it again?" The youngest asks carefully, watching Daehwi's expression closely for even the slightest sign of distaste.

"Fine by me!" Daehwi insists, and once Guanlin's satisfied with the sincerity of his response they get back in line, playing little games as they wait for their turn.

They spend several minutes trying to explain the rules of each game, bickering over whether or not someone played correctly or not, but all in all they're able to enjoy each other's company as they stand in line.

Time flies impossibly fast, and Daehwi can't help but wish they had several days to keep coming back, if only to spend time with his boyfriends without a single thought of responsibility or school crossing his mind. It's nice, and he feels his heart beat just the slightest bit faster at spending more time with them - of their future together. It's a nice thought.

 

\--------

 

They decide to stay for a few more hours before heading back - Guanlin whispering conspiratorially that once the families with young kids left, the park would end up with a lot more space and a lot less screaming.

Dongho suggests they ride the biggest and most popular attraction at the park, an incredibly large and fast roller coaster that makes Daehwi nearly wet his pants at the sight of it.

Guanlin does his best to assure him that it's not as bad as it seems, and yeah, sure, your feet may not be secure, but no one has gotten killed during the ride before!

(Daehwi isn't assured.)

They've been waiting in line for about an hour before Daehwi finally tunes in to his surroundings and pinpoints a vaguely familiar face amongst the throngs of strangers.

"Jung… Sewoon?" He asks, and the face turns towards him, gentle smile already in place.

"Sewoon?" Dongho and Guanlin ask incredulously, and they both audibly gasp once they recognize the other student.

"Hey Dongho, Guanlin, Daehwi." He nods at the three of them, still smiling. The boy next to him - presumably his friend, gives them a curious stare.

"Who're they?" The boy asks, voice so bright and loud Daehwi feels like he needs a pair of sunglasses or ear plugs - or both, "Are they from your school?"

"Yeah, same school." Sewoon gives them an apologetic smile that they wave off immediately - they all have their fair share of well-meaning (but often careless) friends.

"Funny seeing you here," Dongho says, and tries to smile at the stranger but only gets a frown and narrowed eyes in response, "Um. I'm Dongho?"

"Good for you," he snarks, quickly turning to Sewoon, "You like 'em or nah?"

Sewoon sighs, though he indulges the other with a small nod, "Yes, we have several mutual friends. Jonghyun and Seonho."

The boy hesitates before relaxing slightly, extending out a hand to meet them with a huge smile on his face, "Sorry 'bout that! My first meeting with someone for your school didn't go too well," he explains, "Hope you understand."

"Don't worry, we know the feeling," Daehwi responds, glancing between his boyfriends before stepping up and shaking the stranger's hand, charmed despite the initial impression.

"Righty-oh. I'm Jaehwan, best person you'll ever meet and Sewoon's number one hype man." He says with a flourish, bowing slightly before bouncing back up to sling an arm around Sewoon's shoulders.

"He means boyfriend," Sewoon corrects casually, seemingly unaware of how shocked the three become because of his statement.

"B-boyfriend?" Dongho chokes out, eyes flitting between Sewoon and Jaehwan at a rapid pace, "I thought you were straight?"

Sewoon shrugs nonchalantly, smiling a little at their reactions, "I'm pretty flexible."

"In more ways than one, if you know what I-" Jaehwan says before he chokes on some air. He hacks a few times before he can catch his breath.

"Karma," Sewoon teases, and Jaehwan fake pouts at his boyfriend in a way that reminds him of Hyeongseob and Euiwoong.

"Anyways, what are your names? I wasn't paying attention earlier," Jaehwan turns to them with an expectant expression, pretending that he hadn't nearly passed out while making a joke suitable for a twelve year old.

"I'm Dongho, this is Daehwi, and this is Guanlin," Dongho introduces, gesturing accordingly to each person. "I'm a grade above Sewoon, and Daehwi and Guanlin are two years below him."

"Ooh, you guys are  _ kids _ ! Cool!" Jaehwan exclaims, laughing a little at the trio's expressions. Daehwi can't tell how he looks himself, but he knows for sure he's struggling between feeling complimented or insulted from the statement. "I'm a year older than Sewoon," he explains as he laughs. Daehwi is grateful that Dongho doesn't jump in to say that technically he's two years older than the Ravenclaw, instead trying to play nice with the stranger. Jaehwan pauses mid-laugh, and he narrows his eyes at Daehwi suspiciously, "Wait, Daehwi? Lee Daehwi?"

Said boy nods dumbly, unsure of if there was something he had done that could cause such an intense reaction from the boy in front of him.

Jaehwan stares at him silently for a few more seconds before exclaiming and snapping his fingers with a flourish, "Ah, that's  _ you! _ I gotcha."

The rest of them stare blankly at him, and Sewoon tries to excuse his behavior as best he can, "He does that sometimes."

They're given no choice but to move on when it's their turn to get on the ride, saying their goodbyes to Jaehwan and Sewoon and promising to try and meet up some other time.

They settle into the ride's seats, which is thankfully set up for three people, so the trio can sit together (and laugh at each other screaming from the combination of exhilaration and fear).

Jaehwan makes eye contact with Daehwi right before the ride takes off, Jaehwan and Sewoon still waiting in line for the next cart to come around. "We have a mutual friend," he mouths, and the wink he gives does nothing to explain his statement nor make Daehwi feel any less confused.

The ride starts before he can try and ask for an explanation, and he's left with countless questions that he promptly forgets right after the first drop.

 

\--------

 

They're all tired not even an hour later, but since they had agreed to stay much later they try to regain some of their energy by sitting down and eating some of the snacks the vendors offer. Dongho and Guanlin have both eaten three servings of cotton candy by this point, and shared another one with Daehwi a few rides ago. (Daehwi considers it a blessing that neither of them threw up on one of the rides.)

Daehwi just takes a bite of his funnel cake when he spots a familiar face, and he nearly chokes when he sees what exactly the person is doing. Their clothes are matching somewhat too, both wearing a bright t-shirt with complementary colors and a simple pair of jeans that make them seem more like a couple than anything else.

"Is that- is that  _ Hwanwoong _ on top of that screaming guy?" Guanlin asks, and Daehwi can only nod dumbly in response.

Said screaming guy seems to have noticed their staring, and prances over to them with a giant grin, completely oblivious to how much Hwanwoong tries to resist. As strong as Hwanwoong may be, he's still  _ incredibly _ small, and he honestly doesn't really stand a chance against anyone several centimeters taller.

"Hey strangers! Why're you staring? You wanna fight, or be friends?" The screaming guy - who is no longer screaming, thank Merlin - chirps at them, and Hwanwoong lets out a weak laugh when he recognizes them.

"We know each other," Hwanwoong tells the boy, and he nudges his shoulder gently, "Can you let me down?"

The boy obliges immediately, saying something about how Hwanwoong seemed like the type to have lots of friends, and Daehwi tries (and fails) to ignore how the tips of the dancer's ears turn a dark red at the indirect compliment.

"Hey, Daehwi, Dongho, Guanlin," Hwanwoong greets.

"Hey Hwanwoong. I thought you were trying to 'bond' with the mugg- with the performance group?" Daehwi says, and he looks back and forth between Hwanwoong and the stranger. While the two don't seem to be extremely close with each other, they both gravitate towards each other so subtly that he doubts they're even aware of it. And combine that with the matching clothes and Daehwi's so lost even given a thorough explanation wouldn't answer all of his questions.

"Yeah, I was- am. He's part of the group." Hwanwoong gestures towards the boy, who grins and greets them like he hadn't asked if they wanted to fight him just a few moments ago.

"Hello, Hwanwoong's friends! I'm Gunhee! I'm our group's main singer and temporary leader!"

The trio are silent for a few moments, unable to think of how to respond. Dongho speaks first, mumbling out, "Nice to meet you."

Daehwi and Guanlin repeat the phrase, brains still struggling to catch up. They've interacted with a lot more familiar people than any of them could have expected, and considering how they were still a little dazed from the ride they just got off, it's more than a little difficult to try and socialize.

"You guys look really cute, by the way, with the matching outfits and all," Hwanwoong says, grinning at how embarrassed the three of them get at the compliment, "You look really good together!"

"Thanks," Guanlin mumbles out, and Daehwi's half a second away from cooing at how red his face gets when Gunhee speaks up again.

"But we look better!" He laughs, and as he jokes he seems to be completely unaware of how his statement causes Hwanwoong to tense up beside him. He wraps an arm around Hwanwoong's shoulders, still oblivious even as the shorter looks about ready to cry. "It's like a double date!"

"Hey Hwanwoong, can you help me read what that sign says?" Daehwi tries to intercede before anything goes out of control, bringing Hwanwoong away from the group and pointing at a sign that very clearly reads "Kids under 15 years old: please don't eat the animal food. Parents: please don't put the animal food in your kids' food." Which. Daehwi squints at the sign. "Wow, there's  _ gotta _ be a story behind that."

Hwanwoong forces out a little laugh, and Daehwi rubs a hand against the older's back soothingly. It's a gesture that Jinyoung's used on him more times than he can count - it gives just enough physical contact that the person knows someone is right by them, but not too much to be suffocating or irritating. "Thanks," Hwanwoong says quietly, and Daehwi nods even though the other can't see him.

"Anytime," he insists, and hands the older what little remains of his funnel cake, "You want some? It's  _ delicious _ ."

Hwanwoong looks tempted, but he tries to push the plate back, saying "I can't take your food, Daehwi."

"But I can't finish it by myself! And Dongho and Guanlin are already stuffed from cotton candy." Daehwi responds, making sure to pout in the way he knows will get him what he wants. He gives his best sad eyes, and it's not even a second before Hwanwoong caves, shoveling the funnel cake down his throat like he hadn't eaten in days.

The Slytherin makes a muffled comment about how Guanlin and Dongho must've eaten way too much cotton candy, but Daehwi laughs a little in response.

He watches the older eat in silence for a few moments, glancing back at where Guanlin and Dongho are doing their best to distract Gunhee and stop him from getting curious enough to come over. Hwanwoong looks significantly calmer now, and Daehwi takes it as a sign to prod a little. "You okay?"

Hwanwoong nods, barely taking a second to breathe in between bites to speak, "I just- I don't know." He frowns, and Daehwi gives him his most encouraging expression as he tries to find the right words for what he was - is - feeling. "Eunki… I know he doesn't like me." Hwanwoong lets out a long sigh, leaning on the balls of his feet and glancing at the sky with so much raw emotion Daehwi feels like he should look away. "He never will. Not- not in the way that I do." Another sigh. "But that's okay." He gives Daehwi a sideways glance, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Is it really?" Daehwi asks. He wants Hwanwoong to be okay with it, but he's not sure if the older actually  _ is _ or is just pretending to be. And while Daehwi would love to believe that he  _ is _ , he knows from personal experience that 'faking it 'til you make it' is far from the best way to deal with emotions.

"It is," Hwanwoong insists gently, and his smile is a bit more hopeful now, less reluctant. "It's okay." He gives a little shrug, turning back to face ahead of him, "I've got other things to care about now, I think." The glance he gives at Gunhee doesn't go unnoticed by Daehwi, but the younger knows better than to try and pry more information out of him. When he's ready, they can talk. But for now, he'll let the older sort through his own emotions first.

"That's good to hear," Daehwi says. And it really,  _ really _ is. It's freedom from all the weight the unrequited crush had been forcing onto Hwanwoong's shoulders, and Daehwi can't wait to see how far the older can soar without it.

 

\--------

 

By the time they're trudging back into the castle, they've spent nearly all of the energy they have and are barely dragging themselves to their respective common rooms.

"Thanks for today, Guanlin. I had fun," Daehwi says, and can't help but feel a little happy at the realization that smiling at the youngest is the easiest thing in the world, and fills him nothing but joy and the thought  _ I'm so lucky _ .

Dongho mumbles an agreement, though he makes up for his lackluster response when he presses a kiss on Guanlin's cheek, nuzzling his face against the Slytherin's neck with a small smile.

"I'm glad," Guanlin says shyly, blushing as he squeezes Dongho and Daehwi's hands gently, "And congratulations again, Dongho. I'm really happy for you."

Dongho smiles despite his exhaustion, so obviously pleased at even the slightest bit of praise that Daehwi can't help but be reminded of a puppy.

Guanlin seems deep in thought, brows furrowed and eyes unfocused before his mouth sets in a determined line, taking a deep breath before looking between his boyfriends, "I love you."

Dongho sucks in a sharp breath at the statement; even though they've been dating for a decent amount of time, none of them have said those words aloud, never wanting to be the first one. But it's clear that the youngest's emotions are reciprocated as Dongho presses a quick kiss to both his and Daehwi's lips, completely reenergized as he reciprocates the sentiment, "I love you too!"

Daehwi laughs, a little helpless but mostly content as he intertwines his fingers with the others', pressing a gentle kiss against the back of their hands and murmuring a quiet "I love you" against their skin.

It's a moment that Daehwi wishes could last forever, but even when they finally part ways and return to their dorms, the memory rests in his mind, a sweet feeling lingering in the back of his mind as he drifts off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aight aight whatd u all think ??  
> again, ill try to be update more often !! i dont actually know when im going to finish this bc i completely abandoned the plot i had in mind when i first started writing this, so yea  
> poll for this ch is [here](https://goo.gl/forms/qvhfCKK4jGzTj6zf1) !!  
> thank u everyone for reading nd ily <33333333 comments, kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions and always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading all of this !! i hope it was an enjoyable and likeable read :D  
> as always, kudos and comments are super appreciated ! (thank you to everyone who commented on amh - you all made my day !!! ilyyy)  
> if you want to hmu on tumblr, im @ laiguanlin


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